The Histories of the Vilebloods of Cainhurst
by samurai89
Summary: A collection of works concerning House Vileblood of Cainhurst.
1. Histories of Cainhurst, Vol I

The Histories of the Vilebloods of Cainhurst, vol I, by Maester Dalfer.

The Vilebloods of Cainhurst, one of the Great Houses of the North. Their sigil, two golden wolves facing away from each other with their tails entwined, laid upon a scarlet background. Their words, unknown, though many assume it to be "Blood for the Lady".

Currently, at the time of writing, they are one of the more mysterious in the entirety of Westeros. To date, until this work, there have been no official 'Histories' written of the Vilebloods. The reasons are manifold, though the primary one is that the Vileblood family has had no Maester since their foundation in the North and prevents any and all wearing the links of the Citadel entrance to their castle, or even their land if they can help it. This is not even limited to Maesters, they bar their gates shut to almost everyone, Lord or Maester, great or small. The only ones ever allowed in are the Starks and even then only the "invited" are allowed inside. The Vilebloods themselves are rarely ever known to step outside.

Such an extreme policy of isolation severely limits attempts to study them, or gain any kind of information. Even their Knights, the castles only means of contact with the outside world, are notoriously tight-lipped*. As a result of this what we know of them at the time of writing comes almost entirely from outside sources, as well as stories and tales that have been retold over the years to become an accepted truth.

Thus I will endeavour, in the following volumes, to shed light upon this mysterious House. This first volume shall be a general overview of the early history of the Vilebloods, covering their possible origins and their role in the Bolton Rebellions. Further volumes will address later Vileblood history, particular aspects of the Vilebloods such as their unique practice of Knighthood, notable customs as well as notable Vilebloods throughout history.

Let us begin with that is already commonly known. The Vilebloods were, like the Manderleys, originally from the South but due to disagreements with the Faith they were exiled. Most assume that this was because the Vilebloods were worshipers of the Old Gods despite their apparent Andal nature. In fact a popular story is held that the Vilebloods found wisdom in the trees and lies in the book, so they chose the former which led to their exile. This exile then led them North where they were taken in under the Boltons, given land and made bannermen to fight in the Bolton rebellions against the Starks, wars in which the Vileblood Knights would acquire great renown, and much fear.

After the final Bolton rebellion was put down in which the Vilebloods played the decisive factor, they were freed from their bonds of vassalage to the Boltons and made a Great House, forming a new bond with the Starks. This also started the famous tradition of a Stark child being sent to Cainhurst to squire or be a lady-in-waiting.

Thus they have remained for hundreds of years, loyal vassals that grew wealthy off of the mines in the Lonely Hills and grew prestigious thanks to their Knights. These unique individuals are famous (Or infamous depending on who you are) for many things, their frequent bounty hunting for a start. In fact some have even taken to calling them Hunter-Knights because of this. They are also very notable because of the famously pompous "Cainhurst garb" and their unique weaponry, the most iconic of all being the curved, single edged longswords nearly all of them wield. Many are adventurers having trekked the length and breadth of Westeros, even into the Land-Beyond-The-Wall as well as across the Narrow Sea into Essos, bringing back bounties (quite literally in some cases) and treasures far and wide. The most famous of these Vileblood adventurers is Lady Maria, a person whose history is a rather colorful one if the stories of her are to be believed.

Like any Great House, they have their fare share of reasons to fear and be wary of them. The sheer unknown of the House puts many ill at ease with the Vilebloods and rumors of the goings on inside Castle Cainhurst spring forth every turn of the year, from the lurid to frightening. The rumors are not limited to the goings on inside of Cainhurst either as the Vileblood Knights also receive their fair share. Their bounty hunting are sometimes covers for kidnappings with many notable cases rumored to have occurred when there were known Vileblood Knights in the area. Some of these cases have strong merit. The fact that live bounties are often brought to Cainhurst puts fuel to the rumours that abound about that castle. Their reputation is also rather frightening, with the phrase "blood-crazed beasts" being a common descriptor for them, not to mention the rumours in which they would "rip out the hearts of their enemies with bare hands" that occur with frequency wherever they are found and whenever they fight.

Their known words also do not put anyone at ease, especially considering their previous associations with the Flayed Men and general fascination, some would call obsession, with blood. Certainly, they are not looked upon with much admiration, though they are a feared and respected House.

This said, we will begin the retelling of Vileblood History, starting with their origins in the Reach.

*As well as unnerving to talk to. I have had conversations with those most fanatical in the Faith and they seem like the most sane men compared to Vileblood Knights.

* * *

 **Vilebloods in the Reach.**

The Vilebloods, much like the Manderleys, were once a Reachlander family that were chased out of their original homeland and sought refuge in the North. Like the Manderleys were accepted by the Starks as bannermen, the Vilebloods were accepted by the Bolton Red Kings.

However, where the Manderleys were driven out due to politicking and power grabs, the Vileblood flight north was said to be, by the Vilebloods themselves, driven because of religious persecution. An interesting and plausible story, yet one that does not seem to have much evidence for other than the word of the Vilebloods. It is very plausible that this is what happened, I do not discount that, I only wish to explore and elaborate on this story.

The first recourse would be, if the records of the Vilebloods are barred as they usually are, to turn to the records of the Faith. However since this event happened so long ago (the exact date is unknown but it would certainly be post-Andal invasion) written records are nonexistent. Anything the people of the time deemed worthy of copying and retaining that can be read now makes no direct mention of an Andal family converting to the Old Gods Faith, an event that I assume, if it did happen, would be a very memorable one. Though perhaps it is a conscientious omission, perhaps the recent arrivals were feeling too insecure of their rule and the Faith of the Seven had yet to take hold amongst their conquered subjects. Thus when one of their own converted to the local religion they would be quick to suppress it.

The origin of this story comes from the records of the Winter King Grenn Stark, the second King of Winter to encounter the Vilebloods and one of the first to ever enter Castle Cainhurst. His journals, which have been repeatedly copied down over the centuries since they mark a notable event in Northern history, describe an encounter with the Vileblood Matriarch, the first known Annalise, in which the latter recounted the now official version of the story of the Vileblood exile and flight north. The certain phrase she is recorded to have said is that the Vilebloods had "a disagreement with the Faith", a phrase which many interpret as the Vilebloods turning to the Old Gods. She is also recorded to have said that they had been branded as "Vile-blooded creatures", from which the name Vileblood comes from.

No mention is made as to where the original Vileblood home was and, unlike the Manderleys, we cannot discern from their name, as what the Vilebloods were known as before they took on their current name is not known and they refuse to divulge.

However, I have taken it upon myself, with the aid my of my assistants and other hired help, to explore the possible sites all across the Reach to find possible remains of the original Vileblood holdings, an endeavour which took at least three years and would not have been possible without the aid of the local noble families and the generous contributions of my donors.

The first area I explored was the Red Mountains, in correspondence with the current holdings of the Vilbloods being the entirety of the Lonely Hills. Perhaps they preferred hilly, mountainous terrain. However from Uplands to the Kingswood, though I did discover many interesting things (of which I will put to writing at a future date), there appeared to have been no trace of Vileblood activity. Though ruins dot the mountains they were either from the wrong age, as evidenced by their style of architecture, or too weathered to determine anything useful. Thus after two years in the Mountains ranging back and forth I gave up my search.

However there was another location that suited my criteria, namely the southern portion of the Westerland Mountains and it is here where I found places of interest. Namely, the Red Lake.

This is a place that is once said to have been inhabited by the Children of the Forest before Brandon of the Bloody Blade slew them, thus giving the lake its name. Explorations within the lake itself and within the surrounding lands, undertaken by myself, my assistants and hired help, have revealed that the area was long ago inhabited, before the establishment modern Red Lake Castle. Midden mounds dot the shore of the lake and artificial cave systems had been made in the hills to the north.

What ties this place into the Vilebloods in particular are the carvings found in two of these caves, which included designs and motifs that bear striking resemblance to the kind found tattooed on or engraved into the armour of Vileblood Knights.

The first rune is a near carbon copy of a modern Vileblood Knight motif, the twisted cord with dripping anchors. It was found carved in a repeating pattern within a cave wall along with other carvings. The second rune, bearing resemblance to what is known today as the "spiked eye", was found carved into the walls of another cave. The caves were adjoining and seemed to have been connected to a deeper system but a cave-in had collapsed the path and to dig further would have been very dangerous. Perhaps there are other things beyond which I could not reach*.

Despite this, examining the runes found within provided a wealth of information and may act as clues as to the real cause of the Vileblood exile. The cave of the first rune was the first one we had encountered after we discovered the entrance. The path inside was large enough for two people abreast to comfortably walk through and the cave itself was fairly roomy, clearly having been carved out. It had three exits, two of which were blocked and the other leading to the second cave.

What discernable markings within this first cave mention "blood dregs". Along one wall were holes made at regular intervals at about chest height and in one of them my assistant found the remains of an iron bolt. Beneath a pile of rubble we also found chains and manacles, which gives an idea of what kind of place this was.

The other cave contained a wall of runes, with a deliberately carved slab of stone in front of it. The markings here are near indescribable but "rapture" had been etched into the stone.

The evidence suggest that this place was a prison, perhaps a Vileblood dungeon system built into the caves away from prying eyes. The first was perhaps a holding room, with the second being a dining area.

However, we did discuss another theory which could have major implications as to the causes of the Vileblood flight.

That the second room was a sacrifice chamber.

The evidence for this is threefold, the first is the phrase "blood dreg" from the first cave which may imply someone unwanted, perhaps someone with 'unclean blood' whatever that may mean. The second piece of evidence is the presence of the altar-like object in front of the wall of runes, a stone slab that had been purposely carved and seemed to be able to fit a full grown man and on which the word "rapture" was etched into. The third piece of evidence is the rune itself. My assistant noticed that if one were to turn it sideways, it can be interpreted as a chest being parted to expose the heart. Now, this is also something that, supposedly, Vileblood Knights are known to do to their enemies. There are also no bolt holes in this room so no prisoners were being kept here, at least for any great length of time. That the Vilebloods seem to have a fascination with blood may also lend weight to this theory.

If we were to take the above theory and carry on with it, we can create a hypothesis that the Vilebloods practiced this chest-parting ritual onto prisoners they brought here, why and to what end it is not known** but the possibility that they did may have drawn the disgust and ire of the Faith, and perhaps the Cainhurst's own neighbours, resulting in their demise.

This is, of course, a theory and remains to be proven but it does give a good reason as to why there are so little traces of the Vilebloods in the Reach. They were either so feared or so disgusting that their neighbours sought their annihilation.

Whatever the case, the Vilebloods were forced out of lands and they traveled North, where we enter the next phase of our story.

*I should also note that, despite being unacademic, the caves gave a very eerie feeling. It was noticeably colder inside that it was out despite the summer weather and my hired help, and even myself and my assistants I must admit, heard a constant breeze as we explored and cleared out the rubble. A whispering of the wind that my hired help were convinced were voices, "ghosts of the dead", were their words. Likely it was because of the wider cave system beyond that created the draft.

**I theorize it may have been a religious practice, perhaps giving "rapture" to the "blood dregs", in other words a ritual execution meant to purify the unclean.

* * *

 **Vilebloods in the North.**

The Vilebloods arrived in the North at a time of instability in the region.

The Boltons had taken up the crown of the Red Kings once more and rebelled, lead by Rodrick Bolton, sometimes known as Rodrick Wolfbane. It would be the second of the four Bolton rebellions and would see the Vilebloods make a notable impact, the start of their rise to prominence in Northern politics.

How the Vilebloods ended up in the North or the details of their acceptance by the Boltons is not available to us. We do know that sometime after their arrival they were made bannermen of the Boltons. I speculate a deal was struck, perhaps something as simple as land for service as the Boltons faced a larger Stark host and were likely eager to gain any kind of manpower. Whatever the case, soon after their arrival the Vilebloods were granted land in the Lonely Hills to establish a holdfast and were thrown into combat against Stark-led forces.

The sources for the majority of the next three chapter were the _Records and Chronicles of the Kings of Winter_ by Maester Eubarth Strong and _Histories of Northern Relations_ by Maester Ethon Glover as well as further works listed in the bibliography.

Though they may have participated in previous engagements, the first recorded instance of Vilebloods in the field was at the battle of Sheepshead, the second major engagement in the war. In the first, at the Crossing of the White Knife, the Boltons were beaten back after having failed to properly hide their movements. Sheepshead occurred when the Boltons were making a stand to deflect the overeager Stark vanguard and give themselves time and space to breathe.

What precisely the Vilebloods brought to the battle is not known but it is suggested that Vileblood heavy cavalry was a strong, and perhaps their only, presence. Local folk stories and songs also allude to this, namely the song _Ride of the Red Men_. That such stories survive after so long a time suggest that the Vilebloods made a notable impact. Vilebloods today are also known only to field Knights and in later revolts, also only fielded Knights.

Whatever the case, the Vilebloods at Sheepshead appeared to have made several charges (from three to ten depending on the sources) to blunt the Stark Vanguard's assault on the Bolton left flank, buying enough time for the rest of the Bolton forces to defeat their enemies, who rolled them up along the line from the left. A general rout ensued amongst the Stark forces and they fled, pursued by Bolton dogs, light cavalry and Vilebloods. It is worthy to mention the hilly terrain they fought in and how adverse it was to cavalry tactics, so it may speak of either Vileblood skill in their horsemanship or luck, or to good positioning. Either way, they played a pivotal role.

The next engagement came again at Sheepshead Hills. The Boltons knew that by this point in the war the Stark Host had grown in number, significantly outnumbering them by a large margin. Some suggest that it was at least a five to one ratio of Stark to Bolton men as being the most conservative estimate. These forces had crossed the White Knife and were now bearing down on the Dreadfort.

In preparation the Boltons fortified the gap between Hornwood and the Lonely Hills, likely hoping to weather the oncoming storm.

A storm which came in the form of King Harrion Stark.

We know he had lost his third and second sons at the first battle of Sheepshead, them being the leaders of the Vanguard so his very direct and aggressive actions in the second battle are understandable.

The battle began with a spirited charge by Stark infantry onto prepared Bolton defences. However the hilly terrain and the defense works themselves blunted much of the force of the charge and the Boltons were able to fight pockets of Stark men with their own greater concentrations. Eventually the attack was called off and the first wave pulled back but the defenders were not to be given rest as a second wave came almost immediately after the first retired.

This was a more threatening advance as the second wave were able to form closer to Bolton lines and make a more effective charge. Nonetheless this too was eventually repulsed, to much death and sorrow on both sides.

However, with the advantage in numbers it would only be a matter of time until the Bolton lines crumbled and the road to the Dreadfort left open.

The Vilebloods would soon make their impact again. Before the battle they had been sent north along with the Bolton horse, towards the foothills of the Lonely Hills. When the Stark host was sighted they quietly circled around and positioned themselves directly to the Stark's left, unseen due to lacklustre scouting by the Starks who were confident and eager for battle.

After the second wave had been repulsed the Starks, perhaps now more cautious, advanced their archers to shower the Bolton lines and pin them in place, preventing them respite. Any counter archery was simply overwhelmed by the number of arrows on the Stark side. Under the cover of this bombardment the third wave of Stark forces, fresh unbloodied troops, advanced within spitting distance of Bolton lines and prepared for a charge.

As the horns were called and the drums sounded for the charge, the Stark forces would have been surprised that they were going to be on the receiving end.

The Vileblood and Bolton cavalry burst out from the hills and smashed into the Stark left, slaying many and putting more to rout. After the initial shock wore off however Stark reserves were called forth and prevented any major breakthrough. It must be remembered that the Vileblood numbers at this time would have been very low, perhaps even under a hundred men. With them came an estimated three hundred light Bolton horse who were not used to the shock cavalry tactics of the Reachlanders. Thus what could have been a battle ending charge was contained, though to great bloodshed if the songs are to believed.

Meanwhile the Stark cavalry had earlier been sent through Hornwood, bypassing the defences. There they had encountered light defenses, mostly Bolton dogs who they quickly swept aside.

Outnumbered, outflanked and with their greatest hurrah fizzling out into nothing, the Boltons fled and would soon surrender.

Interestingly the Vilebloods seemed to have avoided any major loss to themselves. Their Knights in the battle had been able to flee into the Lonely Hills, their smaller numbers and lack of Stark cavalry aiding them in evading pursuit.* Their dead however would have likely been counted as general Bolton casualties, after all, this was the first time the Starks had seen the Vilebloods and must have assumed that the Boltons had hired a mercenary company if they bothered to care at all.

What the Vilebloods did after the rebellion is unknown, as the sources that I have used to describe their role in the battle make no direct mention of Vileblood presence. Indeed, the Boltons themselves describe the Vilebloods not as a house in and of themselves but their retainers and seem to have brushed them under the rug, as it were.

Vileblood was not a name to be known in the North, though that was to change in time.

*There is also a story of how the Stark soldiers so feared the bloody slaughter the Vilebloods inflicted upon their fellows that they were hesitant to give chase. Not an unbelievable one, given the current reputation of the Vileblood Knights now.

* * *

 **Third Bolton Rebellion**

The third of the Bolton Rebellions occurred forty years after the second, after the passing of King Harrion and well into the reign of his son King Grenn Stark. The causes originate from the previous rebellion as King Harrion levied harsh taxes and made reprisals against the Boltons, denying them charters and any chance to expand their wealth, power or influence. This policy of stepping on the neck of the Boltons was carried on by his son, who likely also had no consideration for those who killed his brothers.

Such a situation however could not be maintained forever.

Once Rodrick's grandson, Rogar, came into his majority (his father having died in the rebellion), he set about gathering resources for the next conflict. Though the income from his holdings was enough to raise a respectable force, he knew that he would be severely outnumbered with just household forces alone.

Which is why he turned to the Vilebloods.

What the Vilebloods were doing after the rebellion is again unknown but it can be assumed that they had finished construction of Castle Cainhurst, at least, the initial version of the modern thing. Where they got the resources is again unknown but it can be safely assumed that they had quarried and mined into the Lonely Hills and perhaps floated lumber down the Last River from the Wolfswood. That these activities were not in the records of neighbouring houses makes one assume that they were done clandestinely or perhaps they were too small to make any note of.

It is remarkable indeed that the Vileblood presence went unnoticed for this long, though it is likely due to several factors: Vileblood secrecy, an ever present thing and the Boltons, who were not eager to advertise the fact that they had more than they should.

Returning to Rogar, he turned to the Vilebloods as a way to circumvent Stark overwatch and blockade. Accounts of the conflict and the army he would later field suggest that the Vilebloods had a measure of wealth to give to their liege lord, perhaps they had struck already struck the rich resources of the Lonely Hills that they are now known for.

The growing wealth however, and the attempts to make connections to other discontent lords, was noticed by the Starks who immediately threatened the Boltons and made warnings for them to cease and desist their activities.

Thus was the spark for the third Bolton rebellion.

The Starks likely forced Rogar's hand before he was ready but his eagerness and conduct in the war was well known. After all, he became known as Rogar the Red Hand for his less than savoury hobby of pulling out the innards of still living Starks with his bare hands.

The mustering of the armies began, the Boltons having an easy time of it as they had already been preparing for war and had a smaller force in total to muster. The Starks were not slow however as King Grenn had also been anticipating conflict, perhaps even desiring it as he already had his Household forces at the ready and launched an unexpected offensive, perhaps with the intent of finishing this war before it could escalate, or to pen the Boltons in their own lands.

The Vilebloods were the best prepared out of all however, for they were quick to come down from the Lonely Hills and intercept the Stark forces who were caught in the Sheepshead in marching column. Needless to say, this did not work in their favour.

The following battle is, luckily for us, well recorded in the records of King Grenn who participated in the battle and later wrote about the event. It is from him, as well as several others, that much of this chapter is based on.

The battle began with the scattering of the screening force of light horse by the Vilebloods. This alerted the main Stark forces that they were under attack but attempts to form up were halted by the surprisingly rapid advance of the Vileblood Knights which smashed into the vulnerable columns. King Grenn wrote an account of the event:

"...like possessed animals, heedless of their own wounds they attacked. No arrow turned them, no spear halted them, no sword warded them. On they came like thunder in a storm. Reckless beasts screaming Blood. Blood. Blood"

A chilling account to be sure.

King Grenn later recounts how the Vilebloods, who at this point he assumed to be Boltons, carried the charge and decimated the first and second columns. The rest of the Stark host managed to retreat up a hill and form up as their fellows were being chased down and killed. King Grenn himself was saved by his loyal and skilled guardsmen who managed to get him through the Vileblood host, to much losses.

After the attack a standoff ensued and King Grenn was able to observe his new, sudden enemy:

"There were at least a hundred hundred horse, with each rider clad in full plate engraved with strange patterns and wearing black or red cloaks. They bore lances and curious curved longswords"

The standoff lasted until the night when King Grenn decided to withdraw. He explains that with his own horse scattered and only a scarce few returning, he did not have the mobility needed to pin the Vilebloods down nor the ability to determine whether this was just an advanced force and that more were coming.

Thus, with a single charge the Vilebloods gave precious time for the Boltons to muster their whole host, as well as a display of martial prowess that would later be used to entice other rebel lords to the Bolton cause.

The war would go on for four years and would see a number of battles, the Vilebloods playing a role in many of them. They would soon become a distinct force in the field, being noted by the Starks and other Houses as different from the general Bolton forces. Many inquiries were made into the background of these new arrivals but they were unable to determine the origins of the Vilebloods or indeed why they were serving the Boltons.

Using wealth derived from Vileblood holdings and from looting, as well as connections with lords unhappy with Stark rule Rogar managed to sustain and pursue a war against heavy odds. His seizure of Ramsgate allowed him to call for mercenaries overseas and to import much needed supplies, as well as stir the smugglers of the Sisters to activity against the Starks. On the battlefield he proved a skilled and able, if brutal, commander. He never engaged the Stark host in its entirety, instead harassing, delaying and threatening its flanks and fighting only small pieces of it. The Vilebloods also accounted themselves well and they became a feared sight for the Stark side, appearing in the records of the Umber's, Flint's and Dustin's and other Great Houses of the North.

Eventually however the Bolton war-making capabilities were ground to a halt. Their lands were continuously being raided, Ramsgate was blockaded by the very smugglers that once paid service to him and, most importantly I imagine, the location of Castle Cainhurst was found out and subsequently the castle was besieged. This event led to the loss of income and the loss of the Vileblood Knights from Rogar's service as they fell back to defend their keep.

Rogar gave one last battle, the result of a desperate gamble. Leaving his holdings to the predation of his enemies he mustered his depleted forces and marched west, intent on crossing the White Knife and attacking Winterfell. King Grenn however got wind of his movements and laid a trap, splitting his larger force on either of the White Knife. He waited for Rogar to cross and once the Bolton forces were in the middle of making their way through the river he attacked from both sides, enveloping and completely destroying the Bolton army. Rogar, who killed a number of Grenn's relatives, was slain in the waters of the White Knife, by King Grenn himself if the tales are to be believed.

Thus ended the third Bolton rebellion. King Grenn however would not be able to enjoy it for long as he would pass the year after with his son, Edderion Stark, becoming the next King of Winter.

Before he passed however he would see the surrender of Castle Cainhurst and be one of the few allowed within its grounds.

 **Ennobling of the Vilebloods**

The siege of Cainhurst laster for an unknown amount of time, anywhere from six months to a year. We know though that the besiegers, mostly Ubers and Glovers, assaulted only once and were ferociously repulsed. After the failed assault they settled in for a long siege, surrounding Castle Cainhurst and cutting off the above-ground supply routes. Whether the Vilebloods had underground routes it is not fully known but I am making the assumption that they did in fact have them. It would make sense considering their mining activities and the fact that they recorded to have sallied out from unexpected areas.

Curiously, they did this both to kill and kidnap the besiegers. The latter, perhaps, because of the demoralizing effect of seeing your fellows being strung up along the walls of the castle.*

When Robar was slain at White Knife the news took time to reach the Vilebloods, and more for them to believe it.

When King Grenn arrived with his army however, it was undoubtedly clear who had won the war.

Negotiations began in which King Grenn demanded to know who these strangers were. When he heard the story of the Vileblood origins he had this to say:

"Exiles from the Reach. Southerners. Southerners had made a home in the Lonely Hills right under our noses. Unbelievable"

King Grenn recounts the widely believed and near official account of the Vileblood origins that we are familiar with today, that they had been exiled due to "a disagreement with the Faith", a phrase which most assume to mean that they were followers of the Old Gods. They took the the brand of "Vileblood" as their name to spurn the Faith which had driven them out of their homes and accused them of being vile-blooded.

King Grenn and a few other Northern Nobles were then invited into Castle Cainhurst where we get a rare description of the interior:

"Statues and gargoyles were everywhere. They lined the paths outside, they stood on the battlements and they filled the interior. There were more statues inside that castle than there were people I am sure. And the people themselves were a queer folk, wretched little servants and pompous Knights who wore southern garb when not in armour"

Once they made their way to the dining hall where the Lords were met with the Matriarch of the Vilebloods, the first Annalise known to us. King Grenn describes the encounter as follows:

"Pale. This 'Annalise' was a pale thing, thin and unhealthy looking. Skin like ice and hair like snow, and a southerner's arrogance, pomp, speech and clothes. She wore this iron mask, a helmet that covered her head and never once took it off. When I asked what it was for she simply laughed. A strange creature.

Her guards wore the strangest 'armour' I had ever seen, pieces of engraved silver sewn into small cloaks and engraved helmets that were impossible to see out of with the visors down. Every inch of silver was engraved in some flowery pattern. There were two of them with her, the only two I had seen who wore that ridiculous clothing.

On the table was laid a feast, so much food that it could have fed the castle twice or three times over. How they had this much food I do not know. And more of those blasted statues were on the table itself.

Nevertheless we ate and we talked with the leader of these "Vilebloods" as they called themselves"

This encounter provides a rare look at the inner workings of Castle Cainhurst, a topic that will be explored in a later volume.

The result that followed was the recognition of the Cainhurst Vilebloods as a Noble House, in exchange for paying their tax to the Starks instead of the Boltons. King Grenn attempted to split the Vilebloods from the Boltons fully but he quoted Lady Annalise, saying that "a pact was made, and our own was the price". King Grenn took this to mean that the Boltons held Vileblood hostages. Nonetheless he would still try to annul the oaths of vassalage as part of a wider attempt to dismantle Bolton influence in the region, though he was careful in his attempts as it risked his own ties.

This attempt would halt with his death the following year, his son King Edderion Stark pursuing a more amicable policy towards the Boltons. He reversed much of the punishments his father meted out, including the tax rights, and did not attempt to separate the Vilebloods and the Boltons. Throughout his reign he worked on healing the rifts that had formed during and before the rebellion, to much success as the North would not see another Bolton uprising for a number of years.

*This was the first recorded instance of Vileblood kidnappings, an act in which they are now rather infamous for, or rather under heavy suspicion for. More on this topic in later volumes.

* * *

 **The Fourth Bolton revolt.**

With the Vilebloods fully established a Noble House and now firmly known of by the other Northern Houses, one would expect a flurry of activity as they integrated themselves to the Northern political network.

On the contrary, the Vilebloods seemed to have been extremely reluctant to engage any further than to trade. They made no bonds of fealty, no friendships and no ties of marriage. At least, none have been recorded. In fact they barred their gates and prevented near anyone entrance whether they were from a Noble or a Great House, a policy that has not changed since. Only the Kings of Winter or, assumedly, the Bolton Lords were ever granted entrance.

Still, the Vilebloods did interact, firstly by trade which, it must be noted that, as is the case now, Vileblood Knights were the ones to conduct the mercantile business and not independent merchants. The Vilebloods then, as now, were like the Casterlys and later the Lannisters in that they directly controlled the mines in their holdings and the flow of resources. Vileblood Knights also began their bounty hunting around this period.

In any case, aside from those instances a long silence ensued from the sources, until we pick up again at the fourth and final Bolton revolt.

This occurred during the regency of the boy King Brandon Stark, with the regents being his mother Queen Breyna Dustin and his uncle Crejon Stark.

The cause of the conflict was a multifold one, the ambitions of Ronald Bolton certainly played a part, as well as the perceived weakness of a boy-king and the apparent insecurity of the regency. Queen Breyna and Crejon were known to have had their disagreements. Ronald had also been in conflict with Cregan's father King Rynden Stark over Bolton rights to land north of the Last River. The principal conflict however had been over who held the rights to Vileblood taxes, who at this time were said to have become very wealthy, with their domain expanding to encompass nearly all of the Lonely Hills.

When Rynden died Ronald had began preparations for war. He made common cause with House Greenwood and Amber, two Lordly Houses which had been dwindling in power and saw the regency as a time to reclaim old might. He also enticed House Greystark of Wolf's Den who had claims to Winterfell.

The spark is said to have come when, at a feast celebrating the end of winter, Crejon and Ronald came into conflict. Over what it is not known, only that "a great insult had been had and could not be endured", wrote the Stark chronicler. The following month the Boltons donned the crown of the Red Kings, for what would be the last time.

Crejon, as Marshall of the Realm, acted quickly and cunningly. He struck not for the Dreadfort but for Amberhold, the seat of House Amber to the west of Long Lake. Though the Ambers had not officially declared for the Boltons it was known that they had been in correspondence and they had their own cause for revolt. Crejon's march panicked Lord Amber who sent a call for aid while he tried to play the loyal vassal. The messenger however had been intercepted and subsequently Amberhold was besieged and assaulted. The last of the Ambers, Lord Durrion and his son Darren, died with sword in hand defending their home which was ransacked and burned to the ground.

The message was clear, remain loyal or die. Thanks in large part to this move no other Houses joined the Boltons other than House Greenwood and Greystark.

As Crejon was smashing Amberhold Ronald struck at Ramsgate with the Greenwoods while the Greystarks had besieged Oldcastle, eventually taking it when the Bolton-Greenword army came to re-enforce them. The result of these actions was Bolton control of all the lands east of the White Knife and south of the Last River, a considerable power base which Ronald put to good use by amassing wealth and gathering more forces.

This was to be the greatest rebellion the Starks had ever faced but the rest of the North had rallied behind Crejon and the boy King.

What the Vilebloods were doing during this early phase was, seemingly, nothing. Records from the Stark side make no mention of the Vilebloods being seen in the field at this time while records on the Bolton side indicate that there was a frustration with the relationship.

These are the first signs of the Vileblood's eventual betrayal of the Boltons, which suggest that it was so sudden as is widely believed.

Stark and Bolton forces would spend the next two years fighting along the White Knife, each side trying to cross and being repulsed by the other. Crejon Stark was a bold and daring commander but this had its own weaknesses. He was sometimes overeager, a fact that Ronald exploited. Ronald in turn was criticized for being too cautious and when he did make attempts to cross the river he would quickly fall back once the greater Stark host arrived.

Meanwhile the Vilebloods had still yet to be seen on the field, that is, until the battle of Shepherd's Crossing.

It is known at this point that communications with Castle Cainhurst were either nonexistent or minimal at best. Bolton messengers would be turned away and the Vilebloods held no rookery so no raven knew where to land. Ronald was known to have been very angry at this lack of correspondence.

So, when the Vileblood forces turned up at Shepherds Crossing it must have been a surprise to all. The three forces had a standoff, with the Vilebloods and Boltons on the right bank and the Starks on the left. After the initial shock of seeing the Vileblood force, once again composed entirely of heavy cavalry said to number around two or three hundred, wore off the Boltons sent a delegation.

The delegation returned with the message: "return what was ours". What that phrase specifically referred to is unknown but it can be safely assumed that, like the Third Bolton Rebellion, the Boltons held Vileblood hostages or perhaps items of great value.

Whatever it was, Roland rejected the demand and told the Vilebloods to obey "as they were bid to do", a demand that was seemingly rejected in turn as the Vilebloods made no move to join the Bolton camp.

Across the river meanwhile the Starks watched with interest and when night fell, Crejon made a bold and risky move, where he famously decided to confront the Vilebloods himself. He and a party of picked men quietly crossed the river and approached the Vileblood camp. There they were greeted by "Knights both clad in Silver cloaks and silver armour", describing the particular armour of what we now know as the Household Guard, a seemingly senior or superior branch of the Vileblood Knights. Crejon asked them to abandon the Boltons and swear allegiance to House Stark in exchange for their elevation into a Great House with all the prestige that would come with that title, as well as gaining other benefits.

The Vilebloods are said to have deliberated long into the night and it was only when the sun was starting to peek over the horizon did they give their infamous answer: "Your child for Cainhurst"

Now, whether they actually said this is debatable as the source for this is the tale of _Crejon's Howl_ which has rather embellished dialogue to make the story more dramatic.

In any case Crejon was insulted and declared he would not not agree to those terms, returning to his army and beginning the Battle of Shepherd's Crossing.

A battle in which he would nearly lose.

He ordered an advance over the crossing, an advance that was contested by the Boltons. A bloody melee began and the river soon ran red once more. Slowly however, despite suffering heavy casualties, the Stark forces through sheer weight of numbers started to gain the upper hand. Seeing this Roland formed a second line and called for the first to retreat, though whether any succeeded in doing so is doubtful.

The bloodied Starks pushed into this second line, much of them being funneled into the centre where more grinding melee began. Crejon was at the head of this attack if the story is to be believed, hacking and smashing with sword and shield and felling many Bolton fighters. As they saw the advance more and more Stark forces forded the river, eager to get into combat. The Bolton lines bent at the centre, but did not buckle and soon a significant portion of the stark army was surrounded on three sides by Bolton forces.

They had walked into a trap.

Roland had made a risky gamble that paid off as he ordered his reserves into the grind and what resulted was a slaughter, Stark forces pressed from three sides quickly losing cohesion and, with their best fighters having fallen earlier, morale. The final blow came when the Stark Direwolf banner that signified Crejon had fallen and was not raised again. Thinking their leader killed the Stark forces began to rout, but the path to retreat was congested and so a bloody slaughter ensued. Some threw themselves into the deep parts of the river, risking drowning while others made a desperate last stand.

However, Crejon had not been slain, simply his standard bearer but he saw how the situation had developed. At this point he is said to have looked upon his army and despaired, then when surveying the battlefield he caught sight of the Cainhurst banner upon the hill where the Vileblood Knights stood watching.

Once more, Crejon gambled. He fought his way through the Bolton lines along with the remaining Stark Guard and made a break for it. When he was seen cutting his way through Bolton cavalry descended upon him and his party but, thanks to the sacrifice of his companions, he managed to steal a horse and ride full pelt towards the Vilebloods. With the Bolton cavalry right behind him and within earshot of the Vilebloods he shouted that he "accepts their terms".

The Vileblood Knights were still for a moment, Crejon holding his breath as he rode with Boltons nipping at his heels.

Then, a horn was sounded and the Knights levelled their lances. A second horn and they charged.

The Vileblood charge would prove to be devastating. They smashed into the cavalry pursuing Crejon, wiping them off the field and carried on right into the backs of the Bolton army.

The slaughter they inflicted is said to be so horrific that it would forever establish their reputation as "blood-crazed beasts". Many stories abound about how the Vilebloods "ripped the limbs off of men", how they "tore out hearts and guts" and how they "cut all to pieces". According to these stories the Vileblood Knights seemed to have gone into a frenzy of killing. The Greystark and Greenwoods would lose their menfolk in this slaughter, ending their lines. Jon Greystark famously had his throat ripped out while Theon Greenwood would drown himself rather than face Vileblood swords.

The charge saved the battered Stark army and would bring a swift end to Bolton ambitions. Roland managed to escape the slaughter, fleeing with meager forces to the Dreadfort which would be besieged in the following weeks.

The Vilebloods had earned both fame and infamy for this act, with some praising them for seeing wisdom in joining the Starks and others deriding them, accusing them of plotting the battle so that they would come out the victor. Whatever the case Crejon made a pact with the Vilebloods that would remain unbroken to this day.

The siege of the Dreadfort lasted for mere weeks before the castle was stormed and ransacked. Interestingly we hear that Roland collapsed part of the castle's dungeons, perhaps as a last way to spite his enemies by killing prisoners he held. It certainly worked if that was the case as the Vilebloods were driven to great anger and demolished part of the castle, as well as flaying Roland's corpse.

Thus ended the fourth and final Bolton revolt, with the Boltons brought to their lowest ebb and the Vilebloods elevated. They became a Great House and were acknowledged as Lords of the Lonely Hills. Crejon's son Bran would be the first of many Stark children to squire in Cainhurst, sealing the bonds between Stark and Vileblood.

This ends the first volume covering the early history of the Vilebloods of Cainhurst.


	2. Lyanna's Letters

Father,

Im here at Cainhurst now, the trip took at least two weeks. Thankfully the weather was clear for the most of it. But the trip was NOT fun. I would have preferred to ride the entire way to the Lonely Hills. The Knights of Cainhurst can do it, why couldn't I?

Anyway, after we rode from Winterfell to Riverside we took a boat up the White Knife and we arrived at Redport after a week.

Boats are not fun. No one should have their feet off of ground for that long.

Anyway we didn't stay long in the village as they had a wheelhouse waiting for me. Funnily enough I didn't even see the driver and they told me that, no, I couldnt ride a horse up to the castle.

Stupid. It was stupid.

But the ride wasnt too bad I guess.

When I got in I saw the castle and it is impressive. Maybe not as good as Winterfell, but I liked it.

What you notice first when you go in though are the statues.

They are EVERYWHERE. Literally, everywhere where you could of put a statue they made one and put it there.

I asked one of the Knights escorting me why they were there and he said "To honour the masters and mistresses"

I think, in Cainhurst speak, that these statues are like the ones in the Crypt Something made to remember people by.

There were so many though, so, so many. I think there may have been one for each Vileblood that had ever lived and then some.

Anyway, the inside of the castle is good I guess. Colorful stained glass windows (big ones as well, surprisingly), lush red carpets and drapes. All very southern. They did have a lot of pelt rugs though. There was a really large one that must have been either a bear or a direwolf it was so big.

The people inside are...odd. Every Vileblood wears a mask. Every one of them. The House Guard even wear their helmets all the time. They all say "It is how it is". Maybe it's from their southern nature, but even then I dont know any southern houses that follow this practice. Maybe it's because they're all horrifically ugly and want to hide it?

I doubt it though. They say that Lady Maria is an ethereal beauty so if she is an example then the Vilebloods here dont have fish-eyes and pig noses.

I hope so anyway.

But, there is something about them that unnerves me.

They treat their servants like dogs.

The poor wretches are always groveling and I saw one being beaten with a cane. The Vileblood doing it seemed really surprised I told her to stop. When I tried to help the poor man he just burst into tears and begged for forgiveness.

Maybe some of the rumors about Cainhurst are true, just, I don't know which and I don't want to be too rude to my hosts. They haven't been cold to me, I think. They welcomed me as you would with a feast and they speak to me cordially enough.

It's a strange place.

Lady Annalise though. She is quite...something.

She speaks so...oddly, so flowery. "Fancy southern speech" you may call it. Still, she welcomed me and gave me a seat by her side at the table.

Another odd thing, they all ate with their masks on. Must have practiced because none of them struggled. Lady Annalise didnt eat herself, despite how thin and pale she was. She said she had eaten earlier.

Must of had a bite of an apple or something.

Anyway, that's what's happened since I got here. Tomorrow I start my first day as a lady-in-waiting.

Joy.

I hoped to see aunt Branda but Lady Annalise said that she had taken to wanderlust like Great-Uncle Rodrik and is currently traveling. A shame.

I wish you well Father, and tell Brandon and Benjen to write, and that I can still ride better than them even if I am stuck on a mountain.

Love,

Lyanna.

 _The letter is marked with the seal of Winterfell. Blue rose petals are sealed with it._

* * *

Dearest Ned,

I hope this letter finds you in fair health, though, I would imagine residence in the Eyrie would do wonders to thy constitution.

I have received thy previous letter and am most thankful for it, to read from thy hand of your ventures in the Vale brings me as much joy as riding. Thy knowledge of Lord Robert Baratheon is also most appreciated.

I are well and are learning much from our time at Cainhurst. To think, I once dreaded this place that I now call home. Now I enjoy walking along its walls and halls and seeing the statues, as well as training with the Knights.

Yes brother, thou read that rightly, it was no jest as thy assumed from our previous letter. Lady Annalise allows us to fight and ride alongside the Knights of Cainhurst. It may surprise thee but there are Cainhurst Knights who are of the fairer sex. Lady Maria had to have come from somewhere, after all.

Worry not, for I both remain safe and Winterfell remains the most loved in our heart, as do thee and our brothers whom we cannot wait to see once more.

I make preparations to journey to Harrenhal. Lady Annalise has generously granted me leave and I will be departing with some Knights and a House Guard, Ser Otto, who goes by the moniker "The Bloody Crow of Cainhurst". Lady Annalise charges him to win glory for Cainhurst at the tourney, as well as to protect me on the journey.

Again, I eagerly await the day of our reunion.

With much love,

Lyanna.

 _A lovingly written letter, marked with the seal of Cainhurst._

* * *

Rhaegar,

Thy advances this day were most unbecoming of a married man, no less for the Prince of the Realm. Speak to me no longer lest I bring this scandal upon thine own wife, a woman who we remind thee has birthed thee two children.

 _A note found pinned to the door of the Prince's room in Harrenhal. It was pinned with a golden pin bearing the image of two wolves facing away from each other, their tails entwined. The symbol of Cainhurst._

* * *

My Lady Annalise,

I fear we must request thy aid. Rhaegar had abducted me, wanting to fulfill a so called prophecy by defiling my body. The cur is as mad as his father.

I have managed to escape, currently I am somewhere in the Reach though I know not where. All I know is that I am south of Bitterbridge. There are farmland and plains around and there are mountains to my north. I continue to flee in their direction.

I beg thee, help me.

 _A desperate call written with shaking hands, one of two letters bearing the same message. The other has been addressed to Winterfell._

* * *

Ned,

I hope thou findeth these notes I have written, my last words on this earth.

This vile creature that masquerades as a Prince has locked me in this forsaken tower, a prisoner of his madness, guarded by his "Kingsguard" Gerod Hightower. I extracted a price however, now he is less an eye and the Bull less four fingers.

More gratifying to hear from their own tongues is how Arthur Dayne and Oswell Whent were slain by the Bloody Crow. Oh to have seen the sight.

They tell me Father and Brandon have been executed in an attempt to retrieve me. I pray that this is merely them trying to break my spirit, but I worry all the same. I have written letters to all of thee, to Father, Brandon and Benjen. Whichever of thee finds me.

Time is all I have in this prison.

Time, and a child.

Rhaegar has defiled me.

I loathe that creature for it, yet I do not hate this child. It is not his. It is mine.

He dares to take so much from me, it is only fair that I take this and make it my own.

I love you Ned, always remember that.

And if the worse is to come, care for my child.

Much Love,

Lyanna.

 _A letter written on the back of a torn page, found in the Tower of Joy. It is placed atop a pile of other letters._


	3. Terror at the Trident

Every Northerner knew of the Vilebloods. Every Northern mother would tell their troublesome children to behave or the "Hunters will get ya". Every Northern village would see the steel plated and black cloaked riders. From the Neck to the Wall, from the Stony Shore to the Grey Cliffs they ranged and they hunted. A whisper of Vileblood presence was enough to scatter even the largest bandit groups. The North had rarely seen predation on the roads because of the Vilebloods.

Mostly because the Vilebloods _were_ the predators.

Tolen knew of the Vilebloods of course. But knowing _of_ the Vilebloods was not the same as _seeing_ them.

They were one of the first to come to the muster of young Lord Eddard and they formed the van of the Northern host. Some Houses grumbled, Lord Hoarfrost of the Umbers in particular, but no one raised any real complaint. Funnily enough someone had been saying that the Vilebloods had simply marched to the front and stayed there, which, knowing the vilebloods, was probably the case.

Tolen felt better about having them in the van. It meant the enemy might run before fighting could even start.

He had seen a Vileblood Knight before, riding through his village. He caused quite a stir, some mothers hiding their children while others thanked and threw flowers at him. Some even made _propositions_. He was simply passing by though and barely gave them a glance. Tolen remembered being disappointed at that as a young lad. He expected more for all the stories that were told about them.

Now though, now he was impressed.

Eight hundred fully armed and armoured Vileblood Knights, with long lances and curved swords and engraved full plate, mounted atop their steeds, arrayed in formation with the silver-clad House Guard at the head and the Golden Wolf flying, it was quite the sight.

Even better when they were on your side.

The Valemen, Riverlanders and Stormlanders didn't really see what the fuss was about, they had seen Knights in full armour before, but they would learn soon enough.

As the trumpets blared and the horns sounded and the drumbeats called for everyone to get into their positions, Tolen thought that the Dragons would learn soon enough as well.

* * *

Potter could be forgiven for thinking that they would win this battle.

Sure, Robert Baratheon had won all but one of his battles so far but now they had the Prince at the head, the dragon banner flying proud.

And the ten thousand Dornishmen and few thousand Reachmen he brought with him also helped with the confidence.

As the armies gathered for the fight, banners of Dragons, Crowns, Roses and Sunspears flying in the wind, Potter had felt like a small man amongst giants.

He did his job though. He had been called up and he would serve his liege like any other good man. Him and his friends from the village of Oakenvale-on-the-Blackwater.

Before the battle they joked and laughed, telling each other that they would bring their wives or girls wolf teeth or falcon feathers or trout heads or stag antlers.

Now, now all they would be bringing would be their lives if they could get out of this.

It looked like things would go well. The Knights were out at front with the Prince, preparing to cross. They would come behind to re-enforce.

Then suddenly a whole host of enemy Knights charged at them. Potter couldn't see where they came from, he was in the middle and there were too many people out in front.

But he did hear the screaming and the shouting.

"Blood for the Lady!"

"Forward! Forward!"

"Blood for the Child of Blood!"

"Protect the Prince! Protect the Prince!"

"Blood for the Blood Rapture!"

"Rally to the Prince! To the Prince!"

Those words sparked confusion and terror but their sergeants and their lords pushed them on regardless.

Right into a slaughter.

The Knights, Crownland, Dornish and Reach noblemen, had been overwhelmed. A tide of black and crimson cloaks drowned them in the Trident, cutting them off.

Now they were going to wade into that tide.

Potter had thought they would win this battle.

As a curved sword cleaved the head of his mate in front of him, he didn't think that would be the case anymore.

* * *

Ser Erlow of the Reach was a proud man.

He had every right to be.

Born the third son of a minor Reach noble, he was not going to be given an easy life.

When his father died and everything went to his brother, that proved true enough.

With nothing but his horse, his lance, his sword and his armour he set off on his own to make a name for himself.

He saw how others in his position had fallen, how many had sailed east and never came back, how many turned to thievery and banditry to survive.

He swore he would never do that. He was a Knight of the Reach, those vows he swore in the Sept meant something.

Even if it meant sleeping rough and eating poor-man's-stew, even if it meant he could not afford to pay a smith to fix his armour, he would always do strive to do good.

So, when his liege had called the banners and he rode off into war against the rebellion of Robert Baratheon, he donned his armour, hoised his lance and set off for war.

When he was chosen to be part of the vanguard, with Prince Rhaegar himself, Ser Erlow was a proud, proud man.

Pride, however, was not armour.

The lance pierced his worn and battered shield, the wood shattering into splinters. The tip carried into his breastplate finding a dent from a warhammer a tourney ago, easily piercing the flat surface. The lance ran straight through him and out the other side.

The last thing Ser Erlow saw as he was thrown off his horse was a pair of golden wolves on a scarlet banner.

* * *

Alaman Fowler was too young to go to war, his mother said.

A boy of six and ten was a boy no more, his father replied.

When Prince Martell called the banners and they were oh so _politely_ reminded that Lady Elia remained in Kings Landing, the choice was made.

He was his father's heir, set one day to inherit the old and noble castle of Skyreach, the last castle that guarded Prince's Pass into Dorne.

Once, the Fowlers were kings in their own right but they bent the knee to the Nymeros-Martells and loyally guarded the pass into Dorne for centuries.

Like any man of noble birth he was trained to fight. Only with strong arms will Skyreach keep steady, his father said.

So he trained with the lance and the sword and the bow, he learned to ride in the harsh Dornish sun in full plate without complaint. He fought his first tourney at Harrenhall, and did quite well if he could say so himself.

Yet all that paled in comparison to real combat.

"Blood! Blood! Blood!"

It was all he could hear since the silver riders smashed into them.

He tried to fight, he did.

Yet his horse had been lanced out from under him, his own lance splintered. His sword blows were turned aside. Every lesson he was ever taught seemed to melt away in his mind.

Curved swords came down onto him and he tried his best to defend himself. He parried some, his armour took some blows, but still some got through.

A riders boot smashed into his face and fell into the stones of the river once more. It took a great effort to right himself and stand on his feet.

He came face to face with a black-cloaked Knight.

The man wore steel armour, different than than the fluttering silver Alaman had seen earlier, yet still elaborately engraved.

An eye with spiked lashes stared at him.

A curved sword came at him, impossibly fast. He couldnt dodge as the blade struck him.

His sword. He had to find his sword.

Another blow across his helmet, enough to leave dent.

Where was his sword!?

A third blow and a punch put him into the stones, stunning him.

He tried to move but something pinned him. A boot to his back.

"Blood for the Rapture, Blood for the Lady, Blood for the Rapture, Blood for the Lady" The madman chanted as he cut off the straps to his breastplate and ripped off the back.

Alaman struggled, wriggling and crawling like a worm to get away.

He was pretty sure he could hear himself screaming as he did so.

A sword pinned him in place and he screamed louder.

Then, he felt something on his back. Something like claws.

His screaming was cut.

Something went _inside_ of him.

The pain was immense.

In his final seconds, as his insides were being ripped out of him, Alaman Fowler tried to scream for his mummy.

* * *

Rhaegar believed in the mystical and the supernatural. Of course he did, his entire line was filled with the mystical and supernatural.

He himself dreamed dragon dreams, telling of a dark and terrible future lest an ancient prophecy be fulfilled.

It was what led him to read those old, dusty scrolls. It was what led him to be convinced that they were right, that the Long Night was coming in his lifetime, that the realm needed the Prince That Was Promised and his line needed the Three Heads of the Dragon.

Elia had given him two, Aegon his Prince and Rhaenys who would be her brother's bride but she could not provide a third. He needed a Visenya, it was crucial to everything that was going to happen.

Lyanna Stark looked to be the perfect woman to give him his third head. A Princess of Ice, regal and noble, from an ancient line whose blood surely held traces of the magic of her ancestors. Certainly, it held Kingly and Maiden blood.

But he had limited time. She was due to be wed so he needed to act.

Perhaps, Rhaegar had often thought, he acted too rashly.

When the Bloody Crow _used his own damn blood_ as a weapon, he was starting to think it had all been a mistake.

The man was not human that much was clear. He _plunged his own sword_ into himself and somehow that made him stronger.

The creatures blood was a weapon. A real, terrifying weapon.

He was also inhumanly fast, moving as if he was a ghost.

With only one eye Rhaegar had no hope of fighting on equal footing. This was the man who killed the Sword of the Morning and Oswell Whent, two of the best swordsmen in the entire realm.

He wondered how that had happened, now he knew.

"Where is she?"

The Bloody Crow was not interested in killing him, however. Likely why he still breathed.

The blood blade arced and struck, as quick as lightning, severing his pinky finger when he tried to block.

"Where is she?"

He bit down his screams and said nothing. His attempt to attack was swept aside.

The blood blade arced and struck, quick as lightning, cutting off the top half of his left ear.

"Where is she?"

Rhaegar couldn't flee. He was surrounded by Vilebloods looking at him with murderous hunger.

Where was his army?!

The blood blade arced and struck, quick as lightning, cutting off the index finger on his left hand as he raised his arm to cover himself.

"Where is she?"

Rhaegar let out a pained scream, turning his body to the side and backing away. The Bloody Crow stepped closer.

Rhaegar lunged.

The Bloody Crow crushed something in his hand and simply _vanished_ , reappearing to his side.

Rhaegars sword hit nothing but dust.

The blood blade arced, quick as lightning, and settled on Rhaegar's throat.

"Where is she?"

His one eye was wide in fear "What are you?"

The engraved silver helmet gave nothing away "Thy has taken something from our Lady. She demands its return"

Rhaegar remained silent, staring.

Then he struck.

His blade was parried away.

Along with his hand.

He fell onto his back screaming.

The Bloody Crow loomed over him, blood blade pressing against his throat.

His screams turned to moans as he looked up at the faceless monster.

"Where is she?"

Rhaegar looked at that cold, silver helmet, his eye roving to see the Vilebloods that surrounded him.

He looked at the blade against his throat, the blood forming an extension of the sword, just as sharp as steel.

He lunged.

He drowned in steel and Blood.

* * *

Eddard Stark looked out over the battlefield, over what the men were now starting to call the _Bloody Ford_.

Ice felt heavy in his hands, burdened with the weight of responsibility, and blood.

He could hear Robert shouting, angry. He hadn't stopped raging since the Vilebloods overtook him.

For a moment he feared his friends anger would get the better of him, and he still feared, but his bannermen had moved him away from the returning Vilebloods.

Returning much fewer than they had started with.

He saw the Bloody Crow approach, the man living up to his moniker. He was soaked in blood, his raven-like cloak stained crimson.

"Was it worth it?" He asked the man.

The silver mask turned to regard him. Mounted atop his steed the Bloody Crow looked down on his liege lord, reached into a blood-soaked saddlebag and pulled something out.

Eddard was thankful he had a light meal before the battle.

Rhaegar Targaryen's head stared at him with one glossy eye.

This close, Eddard could see an arm and a leg sticking out of the bag.

He turned away and emptied what was left in his stomach.


	4. Blood-Crazed Beast

Entry 1

So, here I am. Cainhurst Castle.

Ha, I wish.

Im at a place they call the "Proving Grounds" where they hold a trial for all the prospective lads, and some lasses, who say they want to be a Knight of Cainhurst. It's a tourney ground in all sense, they have jousting and the melee and the archery, but they also have hunting. All of it supervised by the House Guard.

Far as I can tell, it's all a test to see if you have what it takes to join them. They watch your every move, even outside the arenas.

Honestly the Cainhurst Knights are more like the Warrior's Sons than anything else. They're an Order, and they have their own, unspoken, criteria.

I watched them and I saw what kind they wanted. They wanted strong and skilled, of course thats a given, but they also wanted the third and fourth sons who ran from home, the lone Hedge Knights, the Sellsword who wasted their money because they have no one to send it to.

People who dont have connections to people who care about them.

They turn down the noble sons and heirs from the big houses, or even small ones, almost immediately. Umber, Mormont, Glover, even some southern houses like the Blackwoods, Freys and Tullys. If you're important enough for someone to care about what happens to you, you're out. They don't stop the important heirs from participating though and they don't outright say what they want in a person, so I can't really blame them when they complain and stamp their feet. Came all this way for nothing.

Anyway, long and the short of it I unhorsed enough people in the joust and impressed them enough in the melee and the hunting for them to take me and a bunch of others in.

All of us have no family who'll care, no girls who want us home. I think that's the highest priority for being a Cainhurst Knight. I think it's because we're the type that want what they're offering:

Lots of money and a name to be respected.

Which, if that's the case, they're not wrong about.

* * *

Entry 5

Been here for a few weeks now, still haven't actually set foot in Cainhurst.

But I did see it though, which I guess is good.

Anyway, they had the new arrivals pair up with some actual Knights who put us through training. Well I say training, more an apprenticeship I suppose. They dont teach us anything, they didnt need to, we just came with them when they were out "hunting" to learn the lay of the land.

Something I never knew: Vileblood Knights are apparently granted special rights to roam wherever the fuck they wanted to. All to help them with their bandit hunting I guess. Apparently even lands directly owned by Great Lords apply to this, though I dont fancy my chances of trying that one out until I have a few heads under my belt.

And I do mean heads. Vileblood Knights do not fuck around when they are out hunting.

We have to range pretty far off the roads though. No bandit dumb enough to play highwayman I suppose, not when Vilebloods are around and about.

We had a few weeks of this and the initial thrill of being chosen started to wear off for most. Some of the new guys I was talking to thought about quitting, which I guess is the entire purpose of this whole thing, to weed out those who aren't that committed.

Pay is nice though, and a bonus on every bounty you bring in, dead or alive.

Live ones, if they don't want them anymore, get taken to Cainhurst. Bit unfair, but I think they get sent to the mines so it's alright. Dead ones are interesting. If you bring them in alive to Cainhurst there's a bonus for you, just gotta get your pay first and then you take em to the Castle. If you kill them or they die, the Knights still take the body to the castle.

Why? I didn't ask and I don't want to know and they don't want to tell me.

There's probably a reason why they're so obsessed with Blood.

* * *

Entry 13

At least two guys dropped off since I last wrote, Tommen and Petrick. Said goodbyes and never heard of them again.

Jokes on them though. We get to go into Cainhurst. We're finally good enough to actually be 'Knighted'.

Feel sorta proud because of that.

Maybe now I can go on the 'Knight-only' hunts they have. Real special prey they must be getting because they dont allow us uninitiated anywhere near the area. A bit odd that, but at this point im kinda used to the oddness of it all.

Anyway, off to Cainhurst.

 _The author has marked a tally on the bottom of the page labelled 'Heads'._

* * *

Entry 14

Blood for the Lady. Blood for the Lady. Blood for the Lady. Blood for the Lady. Blood for the Lady. Blood for the Lady. Blood for the Lady. Blood for the Lady. Blood for the Lady.

 _The phrase is repeated for several pages._

* * *

Entry 21

Blood has never tasted so sweet.

I have earned my right to perform the Rapture and I committed it upon a lowly prey, someone the Masters and Mistresses would not want to taste.

I thanked them as I drained the prey's body and devoured his heart.

Tomorrow, Lady Alayne will take me on a Hunt beyond the Wall. Wildlings have been spotted and the Knight Commander asks us to check their advance.

For the Glory of Cainhurst.

* * *

Entry 35

Blood is Divine. Never has anything tasted so sweet, so succulent, so enervating and so, so, delicious.

We ruined a wildling party, all of them. Their warriors, their spearwives, their old and their young.

Some we kept. The strong ones, the brave ones. They would feed the Lords and Ladies. One of them was their chieftain, the so called 'Lord of Bones'.

After Lady Alayne took her due we Knights took ours.

Beyond the Wall no eyes watched us so we _feasted_.

For the Honour of Cainhurst.

* * *

Entry 51

Rapture. Rapture. Rapture.

I _yearn_ for my Lady's blood.

Old Gods, New Gods, Drowned Gods. Let my Lady see mercy upon me, let her gaze rest on me for but a moment _please_.

* * *

Entry 90

I hunted. I hunted today.

The need was too much. Blood.

I needed Blood.

Lady Have Mercy Upon Me.

* * *

Entry ?

 _In the middle of the page is a crude drawing of the Cainhurst Spiked Eye. The writing around it is scrawled to the point of unintelligible and there are stains and tears on the page._

* * *

 _Journal found in an animal den in the Wolfswood. The den showed signs of human habitation, various clothing and equipment in a state of disrepair. In the middle of the den is an altar-like object upon which rests a golden pin bearing the wolves of Cainhurst. Curiously, it is polished to a shine._


	5. Histories of Cainhurst, Vol II

The Histories of the Vilebloods of Cainhurst, Vol II,

 **Prospective Vileblood Activity in the Intervening Period, Between the Fourth Bolton Revolt and King Torrhen Stark.**

We last left off with the fourth and final Bolton rebellion, and apparently so did many sources because, once more, there is a gap in our knowledge of the Vilebloods in the significant space of time between then and when the sources become more active again under King Torrhen Stark. However the sources are not _entirely_ silent as there are ways in which we can gleam of Vileblood activity, though admittedly the accuracy of these can be put to question.

Mainly, I speak about regional folk songs and stories in the North which, if taken as a resource as I have done, can potentially tell _a_ story of the Vilebloods in this intervening period. However there are problems as mentioned: when these songs were crafted, by whom and for what purpose is largely unknown and, in addition, these songs could have been re-interpreted to mean something else from the original. As factual historical sources they are poor. However, perhaps as a measure of marking Vileblood presence and activity throughout the entire North, they could be helpful.

I spent much time in the North gathering these tales, noting and studying them, mainly for the purpose of recording the frequency in which each region tells the tale of Vilebloods or suspected Vileblood activity. From this I have built a, admittedly rough, pattern. The most notable areas in terms of frequency (as in either told in the area or has the area mentioned in some way) are the swamps and forests of the Neck, the Wolfswood and the forests of Karhold. This pattern makes sense as these are areas that, typically, people can run and hide in and have a much easier time of not being caught. Thus it makes sense for Vileblood Hunter-Knights to be active in these regions.

The types of stories told in or about these areas are also markedly different that the types told in the other regions of the North. For example in the Barrows the stories trend towards a positive portrayal of the Vileblood Knights as bounty hunters who keep the roads clean of banditry. A similar story occurs in the Stoney Shore and The Gift. In fact, they are very well received in the Gift. The stories in or about the Wolfswood and similar regions however tend towards a negative portrayal of the Vileblood Knights, the stories of the Blood Crazed Beasts occurring more often in these regions. It appears that in these regions the Vilebloods are seen to be more bloody and vicious in their hunts. Why is uncertain, perhaps it is simply because the enemies they face here put up more resistance and the groups tend to be larger, perhaps some members are relations of the local communities.

Interestingly, these areas also produce more stories of wild beasts and man-snatchers than anywhere else in the North. Though the stories of man-snatchers and Vileblood Hunters are separate, perhaps there is a correlation and many people may make the assumption that these man-snatchers are actually Vilebloods. If we consider the accusations of kidnapping directed at the Vilebloods, then the presence of these stories in area of high, and violent, Vileblood activity make sense.

There is more to be done on this subject I am sure, however, I repeat that it is very difficult to date these stories to any degree of accuracy. Perhaps it is not History, but nonetheless these stories and my work in gathering them will hopefully find use as a source in and of itself.

* * *

 **Vilebloods under King Torrhen Stark**

When King Torrhen Stark took on the crown of the Kings of Winter, the Vilebloods had sent him a gift in the form of his bastard brother Brandon Snow, who had been a ward of Cainhurst since his birth. It would be the first time the brothers would meet and, by all accounts, they got along well. However Brandon's extended stay would reveal frictions between the brothers which we can interpret as frictions between House Stark and House Vileblood. Both can act as representations of their Houses' fundamental values: Stark duty and Vileblood desires.

The relationship between these two men is crucial because it is one of the few ways in which we can truly learn of Vileblood intentions in the North and what, if any, overarching goals the Vilebloods have.

I propose this because, comparing sources form this time to earlier times, it appears that Vileblood activities remain remarkably steady and similar, as they have done for centuries right up to the penning of this volume. The Vilebloods have never said anything about why they send their Knights out to hunt, why it is the Knights that conduct the mercantile business that the House's prosperity relies on and generally why they do the things they do. However by looking at why King Torrhen and Brandon argued and what they argued over, we can start to answer some of these questions.

The first point of conflict that we know of emerges around the issue of Vileblood bounty hunting. Apparently King Torrhen's father had been receiving complaints from some of his vassal lords of Vileblood trespassing into their lands to pursue bounties and their complaints to Cainhurst itself fell on deaf ears. When the issue was brought up with Brandon he replied that "The Lady bids us to Hunt, so we shall, no matter where the prey runs to".

A Cainhurstian reply in all sense.

The matter was eventually resolved by the granting of the Hunter's Charter which gave the Knights of Cainhurst full rights to pursue their quarry across all lands in the North. It was not an entirely unpopular manoeuvre, in fact it even had its supporters amongst the great lords. Undoubtedly it helped that stipulations made it so that Knights simply could not enter freely, they had to fulfill certain conditions. Cainhurst also offered generous gifts, though why they did not do so in the first place is unknown. However, considering the fact that it was Brandon who proposed the Hunters Charter, it was likely a Vileblood ploy and one that worked wonders. With the Charter, Vileblood activity would blossom in the following years.

The second point of contention was more economical, with Vileblood requests for charters to establish villages on the edges of their territory, primarily on their side of Long Lake and the Last River, the latter bringing them into arguments with the Karstarks of Karhold and Umbers of Last Hearth. What is notable from this is that it is rather a mundane thing, unique in how normal it is and can act as a measure of how integrated the Vilebloods had become despite their policy of isolation. Though that is not to say that many in the North see them entirely as 'Northerners', not like they do the Manderleys today. For the Vilebloods the taint of 'foreign' will always be applied, not that they seem to care.

Despite these disputes the brothers maintained a cordial relationship and perhaps that was why Brandon Snow was sent as a representative of House Vileblood. Perhaps this can answer the question of why the Vilebloods wanted Stark wards in the first place. What we know of Stark wards at the time of writing is that few of them truly went back to Winterfell, their loyalties having been clearly influenced towards the Vilebloods. In fact a significant number of them would become Vileblood Knights and we know of at least two that were House Guards, Rodrick Stark and Eryn Snow. Brandon Snow himself was a Vileblood Knight. It seemed by nurturing these children, at least one in every generation, it kept the Vilebloods within the Stark circle of confidants and meant that, despite their isolation or indeed machinations by other rival Houses, they were never far away or cut off from the center of power. It also benefited the Starks as it allowed a way for secondary and tertiary children a way to sustain themselves, and also a way for Starks to quietly pass on bastards and know they would be cared for.

King Torrhen's rule, previous to Aegon's first message, would be marked with the steady development of the North, establishing defences along his western coast as well as probing south of the Neck against King Harren Hoare. The last policy was to heavily involve the Vilebloods and Reeds who made connections with dissident Riverlords and, it appeared, allowed Vileblood and Reed men to conduct rangings in their lands. Probably these were attempts to scout out the Ironborn but with Vileblood involvement it is possible to claim that the Vilebloods also directly attacked the Ironborn. King Harren was already facing unrest in the riverlands so it was unlikely that these new arrivals were noticed, likely only seen as more rebels or bandits in a region already crawling with them.

What is important for us is that these Vilebloods would have been the first Northmen to have seen Aegon's dragons in action.

Before Harrenhal it is said that some Riverlords sought the aid of the North in overthrowing King Harren and indeed this proposal was discussed in Winterfell, finding favour with a good number of Houses, Vilebloods amongst them. However before King Torrhen made a decision, Aegon beat him to the punch. This is a story many are familiar with, of how before setting off for the mainland Aegon sent ravens to all the rulers of the Seven Kingdoms proclaiming himself the one and only King of all of Westeros and all who bent the knee would keep their lands and lives and all those who did not would lose it all. In this context the activity of the Vilebloods in the Riverlands can be interpreted as measuring the worth of Aegon's words.

It is not known how many Vilebloods were active in the Riverlands at this point but it is known that some of them saw Aegon's dragons. Cainhurst sent a message to Winterfell informing them that indeed, dragons were wreaking havoc in the Riverlands. That it was Cainhurst that sent the message instead of directly being informed by the Vilebloods in the Riverlands points to the Knights' loyalty was first and foremost to their House.

The news was initially received with skepticism amongst the Northern Lords, Vileblood reputation of being unknown and thus not trustworthy hindering them in this regard. Even King Torrhen's good relationship with Brandon was not able to overcome the King's own reservations. Brandon then went off to the Riverlands himself to verify these claims, whether he did it of his own accord or under orders from Cainhurst is not known.

He is said to have arrived in time to learn of the Battle of the Reeds and the Ironborn ambush at Weeping Willows. He remained in the Riverlands, watching the Conqueror's army set siege to Harrenhal and bore witness to its grand destruction by Balerion. While there he must have also learned of the Riverlords bending the knee and the appointing of the first of the Lords Paramount, Edmyn Tully.

He returned to Winterfell and his account, backed up by the accounts of several Knights and captured Ironborn and Riverlanders, was enough to convince the Northern Lords and King Torrhen of the very real and developing threat south. However, the Riverlands remained in a state of ruin after many years of misrule and banditry had thrived, a fertile hunting ground for Vilebloods who appeared to have been chomping at the bit to be unleashed south of the Neck in force. A good point was also raised of securing the friendships of the northern Riverlords by ridding them of these bandits and finding out more about Aegon. In addition, it appeared that Aegon was turning his interests south for the moment towards the Stormlands.

So it was that a force of Vileblood Knights led by Brandon Snow, with the assistance of the Reeds, would cross the Neck in force, ostensibly to put down the bandits that had grown fat off of the chaos in the Riverlands. In reality their purpose was to gain good relations with the bordering River Lords as well as get a lay of the land both geographically and politically. Harrenhal had made Aegon's demands look less like the blabbering of a madman and though none of the Northern Lords considered ever accepting it in any way, undoubtedly King Torrhen was wary of the power of dragons.

Edmyn Tully's position was not an enviable one in this regard. The Vilebloods, knowing of Aegon's movements, arrived when the Conqueror was well south and sent a message to Lord Paramount Edmyn that they would aid him in "putting down the unrest and the lawlessness in his lands as the bandits had crossed over the Neck and were now starting to infect the North". While this move certainly undercut his authority the compliance of some of his vassals to the incursion, notably the Blackwoods who had once been River Kings themselves, made it near impossible for him to demand their expulsion. However he also did not inform his new overlord of this development, likely because it would have made him look weak and incapable. So instead he set off to accompany the Vilebloods with his own host.

With prominent River Lords and the Lord Paramount himself sharing their camp, the Vilebloods could achieve one of their main objectives. Together they hunted down the bandits and remaining Ironborn with many prisoners being sent on the long journey to Cainhurst. The Vileblood Knights were said to have impressed the River Lords during this action, undoubtedly their experience in hunting men and martial prowess making for a good showing. As the numbers of bandits dwindled however, the numbers of Vileblood Knights did not and certainly frictions were appearing as the Vilebloods were starting to overstay their welcome. Before any incident could reverse the ground they had won the Vilebloods were pulled back by royal command, King Torrhen urging the Knights to return. Interestingly, it is said that his letter was signed with both the Stark Direwolf and the Golden Wolves of Cainhurst.

In the meanwhile, a small force of Vilebloods, Brandon Snow amongst them, ventured south to track Aegon's movements and report on his actions. They followed his army in the Conquest of the Stormlands, reported Rhaenys burning forests atop Meraxes and watched the battle of the Last Storm where Argilac the Arrogant would fall in battle. These reports would start to cause much consternation in the North and it is recorded that a call to prepare arms had been issued shortly after the Last Storm. Household troops would start drilling the levies and weapons and supplies were produced in greater number. The more northern lords such as Umbers and Karstarks had already started to call their banners in preparation.

The Vileblood detachment would continue to shadow Aegon's army as it mustered at the Stoney Sept where for the first time they would see all three of the Targaryen dragons in the same place. They would follow it as it marched to meet the combined forces of King Mern IX Gardener and King Loren Lannister, the largest force ever assembled in Westeros, and they would see with their own eyes how this force would melt away under the power of dragonfire.

As Brandon wrote the report they would be sending to Winterfell that night, believing themselves safely out of sight, they would have undoubtedly been surprised to see Vhagar flying over them and Visenya calling for their arms.

For Aegon had been aware of the Vilebllods shadowing his army, either due to his own informants or, perhaps more likely, due to Edmyn Tully informing him once the Vilebloods had left his lands.

Brandon and the Vilebloods would be captured and brought before the Conqueror who asked who they were and where their loyalties lay. To have heard them proclaim themselves as Knight of Cainhurst may have surprised Aegon, for Knights are not known for their skillful skulking. They spoke during the night and the Vilebloods were treated as Aegon's guests, even sharing bread and salt with them. In the morning Aegon and his sisters escorted them around the camp and then around the battlefield where they saw up close the effects of dragonfire. Some stories even have them being flown over the battlefield on dragonback. By day's end they had seen all that any spy had ever wanted to see in an enemy army: numbers, supplies, morale, commanders, weapons and all else. As the sun set Aegon took the Vilebloods to the edge of his encampment and let them go with all this information, to bear a message to King Torrhen: That he would await the crown of the King of Winter and the fealty of the Lord Paramount of the North.

When Brandon returned with this message, King Torrhen is said to have deliberated for many days after which he called for counsel from his bannermen. Many, while expressing their dislike of the insult labelled upon their king, called for negotiation. Dragonfire laid waste to the greatest host ever assembled and the North could only muster only half that number at most. Many others howled for war, to put down this southern upstart claiming that Northern valour would carry the day. Winter fears no fire, they were supposed to have said. When King Torrhen asked what Cainhurst thought Brandon replied that he would send a message to their Lady.

King Torrhen deliberated for near a week after, in the meantime Aegon had marched to Casterly Rock to gain the submission of the Westerlands and was on his way to Highgarden. Still, King Torrhen delibirated.

Until he received a message from Cainhurst, an invitation into the castle.

We do not know precisely what transpired inside but it appeared it was something significant as shortly afterwards King Torrhen had made a decision, returning to Winterfell and calling his bannermen once more. There he informed them that Aegon would receive the Crown of Winter (upon which an uproar ensued that was so loud it shook the keep) on the condition that he would have to take it.

So the message was sent to the Conqueror. If he wanted to attain the submission of the North, he would have to fight King Torrhen in a trial of arms.

In a move that has been examined and debated extensively by Historical-minded Maesters over the centuries, Aegon accepted.

There are many interpretations of why Aegon decided to accept the offer. One of the more common interpretations, and one that I personally ascribe to, is that Aegon wished to legitimise his rule beyond the force of dragonfire. What this interpretation entails is that while Aegon could and did rule with the power his dragons afforded him, it would not be a recipe for a stable governance of the realm that he intended to create. Dragons, for all their power, could not be everywhere at once and dragonfire was no protection against poison or knives in the shadows. Here, a rival King offered him the chance of legitimacy, a way for him to proclaim that Dragon or no he was still a worthy ruler. More importantly, a Westerosi ruler, one that accepted and understood Westerosi rules. It must be remembered that this was before the submission of Oldtown and his crowning by the High Septon, the act which would afford him a significant amount of legitimacy.

Perhaps he interpreted this proposition, as many Maesters do today, as a way for King Torrhen to kneel without losing the support of his bannermen. Of course, he was also riding the high of his greatest victory in his conquest and had just attained the submission of two of the Seven Kingdoms. He had quite literally shown his enemies what he and his sisters were capable of. Even if he were to lose his Dragon would intervene and he could burn the Northern army as he did with four other Kingdoms. It would lose him legitimacy, but he had three dragons with which to make up for it.

So it was that Aegon accepted King Torrhen offer and marched to the Riverlands where King Torrhen was supposed to await him.

Only, when he arrived there with his mighty host, bolstered by numbers drawn from recently conquered territory, he found only a pitifully small northern host. Five hundred mounted knights with King Torrhen, Brandon Snow, Lord Manderley, Lady Dustin, Lord Umber and Lord Glover at the head.

At first, Aegon suspected a trap and scouted with his sisters the surrounding area upon which they found no signs of a larger host. For a day they flew over the Riverlands, the Mountains of the Moon and the swamps of the Neck, finding nothing. Finally at the second day Aegon and King Torrhen came face to face with Aegon landing in front of the King of Winter on Balerion, undoubtedly an expression of his might and power.

Yet it is said that the King of Winter, garbed in full plate and wearing a helmet forged into the shape of a direwolf's head, did not move.

Perhaps some words were exchanged, a final demand from Aegon or a comment from King Torrhen, but soon Aegon saw the resolve of the Winter King before him who would not kneel lest he be forced to do so.

So Aegon dismounted from his dragon and drew Blackfyre. King Torrhen drew Ice. In the eyes of all their gathered men and women and all the Gods both Old and New, the two Kings would fight for a Kingdom.

Yet it was not _two_ Kings that were fighting that day, for King Torrhen had swapped places with Brandon Snow.

It is know that King Torrhen was not the one to fight Aegon, but who the King's secret champion was has been a topic of debate for many years now, and likely many more. All the houses in the North make a claim though the only seriously considered ones are from the Houses who were actually present: Vileblood, Umber, Dustin, Manderley and Glover.

I make the claim for Brandon Snow because for all of the other options, Brandon Snow is the strongest contender. I say not because of his supposed greater skill but because the entire arrangement was a Vileblood plan. That this duel was proposed so soon after King Torrhen's visit to Cainhurst and the fact that it was only Vileblood Knights that accompanied the party point to this being a Vileblood idea. It must also be said that while cunning trickery and politicking is not an alien phenomenon in the North (no matter how much they claim otherwise) King Torrhen had not shown that he was capable of thinking in that manner.

Again, why the Vilebloods would do this is unknown. However it may have been another political ploy, to cement the Vilebloods closer to their liege by offering him a way to both appease Northern honour and to preserve his line without cost to himself, though he must have at least felt something for his brother.

Nevertheless, the duel was fought.

Accounts of the actual fighting come down to us from Queen Visenya who describes the following:

"The 'Northern King' struck and moved with speed that belied his arms. Were it not for Aegon's own abilities he would have been less a head in the first bout. The way he moved and fought told me that the ridiculous greatsword he used was not his primary weapon, perhaps the first clue as to the trickery going on, but still he had skill all the same despite that.

As the fight went on it was becoming clear that Aegon was starting to lose. Even when Darkfyre cut through the man's armour, into flesh and bone he still kep going, a remarkable feat considering.

I suspect that this champion was using magic. No normal man could do what that man was doing otherwise.

In the end it mattered little, for Balerion ate him."

Indeed, Brandon Snow proved the superior armsman but as he drove Aegon to the ground, Balerion intervened and devoured him whole.

Thus ended the duel, whether or not Balerion was a recognized combatant mattered little. All parties were dissatisfied but begrudgingly accepting of the result. For King Torrhen and the Northmen had seen their champion give great effort only to be killed with contemptuous ease, a representation of how the conflict would go if they pressed for war. For Aegon, he had seen that only through the strength of his dragons would he take and hold his realm, a dreadful lesson Maegor the Cruel would learn well.

King Torrhen revealed himself after the duel, throwing his ancient crown at Aegon's feet. Whatever complaints of foul play the Targaryen side had could not be voiced after what happened. He acknowledged Aegon his liege and returned to the North a King no more but Warden of the North and Lord of Winterfell.

Though many in the North were unhappy, ultimately resulting in the self-imposed exile of the Company of the Rose many years later, the accounts of the lords and lady who witnessed the duel convinced many that to fight would have been futile and that King Torrhen's deception had saved many. When the question was asked of who the champion was, all the noble witnesses made claim that it was one of their own. The Vilebloods, typical of them, said nothing for they knew their work was done and Lord Paramount Torrhen Stark owed them a great deal. Brandon Snow's subsequent disappearance from the records was explained as him returning to Cainhurst.

King Torrhen's rule after his encounter with Aegon was marked with an almost begrudging adjustment to the reality of the situation, agreeing to marry his daughter to Ronnel Arryn of the Vale on the suggestion of Queen Rhaenys after much protest and extraction of concessions. One of these concessions was that at least one of Lyra Stark's children would be fostered at Cainhurst, an agreement that would have a significant impact for the Vale.

When King Torrhen died and his eldest Rickon Stark took on the mantle of Lord Paramount and Warden of the North. While he ruled the Vilebloods would launch their first foray into the Vale and begin the chain of events that would eventually lead the Vilebloods to the height of their power, as well as their downfall and utter erasure from Southern History for the second time.


	6. Campfire Conversations

"Yer fuckin' jokin"

Gera shook her head "Aint no joke. Lord o' Bones and 'is tribe were broken. Scattered to the winds"

The man across from her shook his head in disbelief "He led what? four, five dozen at least. No crows coulda scatter that"

Gera snorted "Wunt' the crows, it was the Blood Men"

The faces around the campfire paled at the mention "Fuck…" one muttered, looking into the fire with wide eyes.

"Nah, nah" Another was shaking his head in denial "Couldnt be. Blood Men dont range that far. Bones' lot were in the Fangs"

"Dey werent, dey went south. Bones got in a fight with Six-Skins o'ver a 'erd o' elk" Gunrik said as he added more firewood to keep the blaze hot. "Got the elk, last I 'eard"

"Then the Blood Men got a fine meal outa 'im" Gera commented.

They lapsed into silence for a moment, listening to the howling of the wind and the dogs and the crackling of the fire.

"Fuck the Blood Men" Skarne spat out, literally.

They all nodded and grumbled an agreement.

"Never thought i'd see the day the fuckin Thenn's aint the worst scum around" Gera shook her head "Thenn's and worse up north, now we got Blood Men runnin 'bout. Gods, even got this Mance fella gettin tha' Pale Trees and White Axes to get together. World's gettin' mad"

"Where'd dey even come from?" Someone asked and all eyes turned to the spearwife "Wot? We dont get 'em in da Frozen Shore. Hear 'bout dem 'nuff though"

Skarne shook his head "Shoulda stayed there"

The spearwife snorted "Eva try fishin on ice? Got two kids ta feed, can't do it on snow"

"'dey came from south of da wall" Gunrik informed them and everyone settled in for a story, the howling wind and periodic whining of dogs forming the background music. "Thought dey 'ere crows 'at first, with all the black an all, but crows dont make a mess like dey do, dey arent as...vicious" There was a dark look in his eyes as he said those words, a look that he shook away

"Some thought it might 'ave been direwolves, Harma was da loudest in shoutin dat out"

He chuckled to himself "Went an lost a few fingers to 'er 'Great Direwolf Hunt"

Everyone had a laugh at that

"Anyway, no, it werent direwolves. Eventually dey slipped an some folk started survivin. Daral I think was da first, from de Red Bows. Started tellin tales o' southerners wiv curved swords dat used deyre blood as weapons. Madman's ramblin's at first, but den Krilla from Blackfoot said da same thing, den Narnor an Torleaf. All o' dem were survivors o' attacks dat took out 'least two o' three dozen folk. An every one o' dose bands were wanderin south"

Gera grumbled "Mhm, then we started seein the mess they left behind. Not like any carcass i'd ever seen, got their whole chest' just..." she made a gesture with her hands "...broken into like they were goin for fruit inside. No hearts. Sometimes the bodies missin limbs but always, always they aint got no heart. Then they got so many stabs in their necks, cuts on their wrists and their crotch, the bodies so pale. Aint no other reason for that other than they wanted to drain the blood"

"Fuck me…" the spearwife exclaimed, face set in an expression of disgust "Why dey do that?"

"They drink it" Skarne supplied, taking out a skewer that had been set over the fire and digging into the squirrel on it "Fockim Bood Mem" he said with a mouthful.

That earned another nod of heads from everyone around the fire as they took Skarne's que and took out their respective meals. Rabbit, squirrel, some birds; it was small game for the hunting party.

And that meant they had to keep at it for another few days, or until they took something more substantial down.

Gunrik swallowed and sniffled, then paused.

The wind howeld.

He narrowed his eyes.

"Oi, listen"

The others turned to him quizzically but did as he commanded.

A moment of silence passed.

"What?" one of the younger ones asked, a little annoyance in his voice.

Gera noticed it though, then Skarne soon after. "Dogs, where's the dogs?"

The hunting party looked over their shoulders to the tents at their backs, looking for the dogs that should have been tied to their posts.

All that was there were holes in the ground where the posts _should_ have been.

Gunrik's eyes widened "Up! Up! Get yer weapons!"

The hunters burst to their feet and drew their arms, an assortment of bows, flint tipped spears and flint daggers. Gunrik held the only sword, an old bronze blade with an antler handle.

He nodded towards the posts whilst looking at Gera and the spearwife. The two moved carefully, spears out as the others covered their back and flanks. The poked around the holes, looking for remains and tracks. Once Gera saw something in the snow she bent down to peer at it.

Her blood ran cold.

"Fuck" The spearwife said "No, fuck, dat aint real"

"What? What d'ya see?"

Gunrik pushed them aside to see for himself when they didnt respond.

His face turned ashen. "Fuck…"

An impossibly large print on the snow, two or three hands wide with claws at least as long as three fingers stretching out from the 'fingertips'.

The wind howled.

 _Something_ howled with it.

The hunters were startled by the sound, retreating towards the campfire, all huddled in a circle looking out into the snow coated forest that surrounded them.

"What the fuck is that?" Skarne asked, hands shaking "What the _FUCK_ is that!?"

Something sailed towards them, landing with a wet splat and rolling to Skarne's feet.

A dog's head, ripped and torn from the body.

With the entire snout bitten off.

 _It_ howled again.

"Get-!" Gunrik was cut off mid shout as a _beast_ jumped down from a tree and landed right on top of him, it's long claws sinking straight through thick hides and fur and skin like a hot knife through butter.

The hunters screamed and scattered.

The beast hunted them down, one by one.

Skarne had his lead torn off.

Gera had her heart ripped out.

Crushed against a tree. Torn in half. Bled out from a deep wound. Neck snapped with jaws.

Shock.

That night the hunters became the prey.

By the time the sun rose the next day all that was left of an eight strong hunting party was a spearwife from the frozen shore, running for all her life was worth towards the tribe's camp to tell the story of a mad, mangy, wolf-beast with milk-white eyes and claws as long as swords.


	7. Memories of Maria: The Bravo

Arello Orlah remembered when he had first seen the Pale Lady. Contrary to popular belief, she had not descended from the heavens when the moon shined a path down to the earth for her. Instead, he had first seen her when she was a guest at former First Sword Sallesso Sanos' home in his annual Meeting of Swords.

The invitation of which required one to duel other prospective guests on the mansion's steps.

Arello had been the first to duel, his opponent being the up and coming Syrio Forel. It was a good bout, if he could say so himself, neither opponent struggling on the steps and giving a good show their respective skills. In the end there had to be a winner however and he managed to disarm the flamboyant Forel, putting his blade against the man's neck.

He chuckled as he remembered how Syrio's eyes widened as if in disbelief, then he turned, his cape billowing, and sashayed away vowing his victory next they meet.

There were two others after that, skilled and flashy as any invitee to the First Sword's home should be.

Then came the Pale Lady. Lady Maria of Cainhurst.

He remembered the stir she caused, how everyone turned to each other in confusion. That she was a woman was part of it true, but a female Water Dancer was not entirely unheard of. It was more because she was a Westerosi and the image of them in Bravos was...unfavourable. They were considered a brutish and lesser civilized people, with the joke often being that their greatest export was their fighting men considering how many travelled east to become mercenaries. However, one of their few redeeming qualities was their aversion and condemnation of slavery, a fact which all Braavosi appreciated.

It may also have been the fact that she was so _tall_. He had never seen any man that tall let alone a woman. She towered above the bravosi by a large measure it was almost comical.

Despite the stir though, no one questioned the decision of the First Sword who personally wrote the invitations and chose who they went to, so everyone paid attention to her duel.

Her opponent was Stalapho Marrel, The Swift. The fastest bravo in all of the city, perhaps the fastest duelist to have ever graced the Moon Pool. An opponent many would sweat at facing.

As the duel began Arello could recall with clarity the first time she drew her weapon, the iconic (and later tragic) Rakuyo. Though many did not realise it right away, so amazed and taken aback they were by the Lady herself, the Rakuyo was a symbol of her skill. As much part of the Lady as her arms or legs.

She demonstrated that ability when she _kept up and outpaced_ The Swift in a display of swordwork that stole the very breath of all in attendance.

There was no other word to describe the duel other than it was a _Dance_.

Lady Maria moved as swift as the coursing Rhoyne and struck with the strength of a mighty storm. She was a force of nature in the first Dance of hers that he witnessed and she would be in every subsequent duel. Never had Arello seen such agility as she parried and deflected The Swift's strikes, even when the latter managed to attain the high-ground advantage, an advantage she swiftly reversed in an astounding display of acrobatics.

On the steps of the First Sword's home two of the best Dancers dueled in a fight that both became lost in, showcasing a display of skill so beautiful it put many to tears.

Sadly, it came to an end all too soon when Lady Maria for the first time showed just a glimpse of what her weapon was capable of doing, turning a curious and beautiful two handed blade into a sword and dagger and pinning The Swift in place.

By the end of it, Arello was one of the many awestruck into silence.

He knew then he had witnessed a moment in history.

Whatever was on the agenda at the Meeting of Swords became overshadowed by the event, Lady Maria receiving many greetings, each bravo adding more titles to their name than the one before them.

It hurt him to remember that he was one of those.

She smiled that sweet, ethereal smile all the same though. A smile on a face so beautiful he would never forget it until his dying day. Skin so pale it was like snow and hair a mix of silver and gold. Were it not for her emerald green eyes she would be mistaken for a Valyrian descendant, though many still thought she was due to her hair and beauty.

When someone had asked why she was there Arello and everyone paid close attention. To learn that she was here hoping to find a _teacher_ of all things left many open-mouthed, though they were quick to flap their jaws once more.

"Oh my lady, I have instructed many pupils on the ways of the blade, none are as knowledgable as I!" Said Bartolor Dardios, an accomplished instructor of the Dardi School whose pedigree ran strong.

"My Lady I have ventured to Volantis, to Morosh and all the way to Qarth and Asshai. I have learned the styles of every city I have stepped foot on!" Said Marcolos Polaeries, The Traveling Sword.

Near all present offered their service to the Lady: Lirazenno Shanar the Captain of the Braves, Fioror Liberar the Flower of Battle, Petrie Pevensie the Lost Prince and many more.

That was when the First Sword suggested that all who wished to teach her should perhaps show that they were fit to instruct the Lady by beating her in a duel. Thus ensued another thrilling round of duels in the gardens of the First Sword's home, a Dance amongst the blooming flowers and vibrant grass.

And it was a Dance, the best, most talented and most experienced swordsmen, and woman, across the world fighting to display their skills.

And Lady Maria defeated them all.

Yet it was not to be the last surprise for the night already filled with surprises, for the First Sword had invited a well renowned friend that had no need to duel for the right of entrance.

Gerrano the Huntsman, founder the Hunters Guild, an organization dedicated to the eradication of dangerous criminals that threatened all men. It was they that had put down the The Beast of Norvos, they who scattered the Nightmare Nine, they who slew the Moonlight Murderer. All terrible creatures in the guises of men. All acts which earned them well deserved renown.

The First Sword offered him as a teacher and in the following duel, the Hunstman disarmed the Lady and won the right to be her teacher.

Arello let out a small chuckle as he remembered the very vocal complaints many had, how he took advantage of her tired state.

But he could still recall the expression on the Lady's face when she learned of who she was fighting, one of awe, a look, he liked to think, of someone who found something they had been looking for for a long time. In his mind Lady Maria _wanted_ to be Gerrano's student.

Though he never voiced his thoughts, likely those who knew the pair would agree.

Lady Maria was perhaps smitten with the dashing Huntsman.

Which might explain why, when tragedy struck, the Pale Lady was where she was now.

A tap on his shoulder pulled him from his daydreaming and he turned around, then smiled widely at the person before him.

Syrio Forel bowed with a flourish "Arello my dear friend, how fare you this fine day?"

"It fares me well my friend. What brings you to the Temple of the Moonsingers?"

The man set to be Bravos' next First Sword looked up at the temple, a mighty mass of snow-white marble, eyes set on the silvered dome that capped the structure. "To perhaps receive a certain Lady's blessing. I face my Trial on the morrow and while it hurts me to admit, I am nervous"

Arello clapped his friend on the shoulder "If you are nervous then you are wise as well as skilled"

Syrio nodded, eyes still set on the dome "Do you think she will accept visitors this day?"

Arello smiled sadly and shrugged "I know not, the Moonsingers for all their gifts know not either. Her mood is capricious as you well know, perhaps moreso around this time than any other"

Syrio looked at him curious on that before realisation dawned "Ah, yes, indeed it may be" he struck a pose and raised a hand to the sky, mimicking a toast "To Gerrano, the best amongst us"

He chuckled and joined him "To Gerrano"

 _Let his memory shine a light through the clouds around you, my Lady._


	8. Memories of Maria: The Hunter

When First Hunter Gerrano brought a woman to the Guildhouse Vargo, like many of the hunters, raised their brows. While their group was no holy order beholden to vows, it was a touch too...unprofessional to have brought your lady to the Guildhouse itself.

He remembered how they all laughed when he said she would be their newest member.

He _keenly_ remembered how hard his face hit the dirt when she proceeded to beat them all down in the Guildhouse yard.

Lady Maria of Cainhurst was a Huntress extraordinaire they quickly found out, bearer of a pedigree that stretched back for over a thousand years.

Not that she would ever tell you that herself though, for the woman was always, surprisingly, tight-lipped about her family.

He recalled the first hunt he went on with her went on. It was her, him and Gerrano and their quarry was the so called Masked Lady, a courtesan turned Faceless Man imitator. She had left many of her patrons dead and, earning her her moniker, faceless. Obviously the other courtesans did not appreciate the fear she was causing which undermined their businesses so they hired the Hunters Guild to put down the murderer.

Now, the Hunters each had their own set of abilities to help track down their prey depending on the hutning grounds. In an urban setting, within Braavos itself even, Gerrano could use his connections with the well-to-do while he could use his connections with the...less well-to-do citizens of the city.

Lady Maria, he would learn, specialised in physical tracking _anywhere_. Whether a city, a village, a rural hamlet, forest, hills, mountains or the open fields she could spot and track her target come wind or shine, rain or snow.

She was a bloodhound in that regard.

She did however have her weaknesses. Often she pulled ahead of them, her greater endurance and fleet-of-foot leaving her fellow hunters behind. She also lacked many connections this side of the Narrow Sea which was invaluable in their line of work.

The hunt for the Masked Lady then, Vargo figured out, was to familiarise her with working with people, as well as to help her make her own connections. For what better place to do so than the city in which the Guild was founded.

In all it was quite a successful hunt. The quarry had eventually been tracked down in her attempt to escape the city and died by slitting her own throat, which helpfully saved them all the trouble.

Apparently she had been too busy being on the run to commit any more of her atrocities, which was good, more than he could say of other hunts.

Along with the adoration of the populace, and the money, Lady Maria also earned the courtesan's favour and their good graces, not a small thing in Braavos.

Funnily enough, many of them also offered her an additional favour, the kind which many men would kill, literally, to attain.

He didnt know if she ever took any of them up on their offers.

Oh and he tried to know. He tried _very_ hard to know.

That aside, Lady Maria became a well known face, not only due to the fuss she kicked up at the Meeting of the Swords but by hunts like that which put her in good standing with the well-to-do of Braavos and the other Free Cities.

Vargo found it utterly hilarious that, as her renown grew, so did the number of applicants they received. Needless to say many of those were rejected.

Though many bravo's also challenged her to duels, for many reasons. Some sought to sate their curiosity, to see if the Pale Huntress was as skilled as rumored. Some fought to see the curious Rakuyo that no smith was able to recreate (no matter how many would try). Some though came at her with the rather funny thinking that by defeating her they would attain her hand in marriage, somehow.

He _really_ didn't know who put that rumor out there.

Truly, he did not at all know.

Curiosity seekers and suitors both fell the same though, eating dirt as he did when he first met the Pale Lady.

Of course, that only served to fuel the stories of her that were already spreading.

So many stories in fact, that a few of her own countrymen came over to take a look, and try their hand, then have _their_ faces beaten into the dirt.

If he poured concrete into the guildhouse yard he'd have a hundred portraits, pinpointing the exact moment someone knew they fucked up.

Sadly though, like all good things, it had to come to an end.

He only wished it could have ended _any_ other way than the way it had.

It started normally enough, a contract had been sent out for guild Hunters to take care of an issue in a fishing village within Lorathi territory. Apparently something or other had been bothering the villagers and they needed us trained professionals to investigate.

What they got was Lady Maria and Gerrano leading two initiates on what was supposed to be a training mission.

A mission that turned sour in a _very_ bad way.

A very bad way indeed, considering only Lady Maria made it back.

Only Maria. No Gerrano. No initiates.

She didnt have her Rakuyo.

He would always remember the day when she returned. It was in the afternoon and the wind had just picked up bringing a chill, so most of them were inside.

He liked the wind however so he was taking a walk outside on the yard with his cloak wrapped around himself, just breathing in the air.

Then Harrano came running out, shouting "Lady Maria is injured!"

He remembered his heart stopping. She had never been injured before, minor scrapes yes but injured, truly hurt, enough to worry about?

Never.

So he ran inside and then he saw her.

Covered in dried blood, every inch of her body stained crimson.

And her eyes. Her eyes, emerald green eyes once so bright and full of a burning ambition were dull and lifeless.

When he asked what happened, she only said to "leave that place alone".

The Lorathi also said the same thing when he went to investigate. They had closed off the entire village and barred anyone entrance. Apparently something happened there that was so bad it warranted that kind of response.

Lady Maria was never the same after that, no matter what anyone tried.

She would sit in her room for hours on end, empty eyes staring into space. They had to get the couple of huntresses they had, who joined because of their dear Lady, to change her clothes, bathe and feed her.

Apparently she did not move an inch while they did so.

They all held out hope for a year, praying to any and all the gods to give Lady Maria her senses back. However with no signs of improvement they had to come to the realisation that she could not remain in the guildhouse.

They simply could not care for her.

So with heavy hearts they gave her to the Moonsingers who cared for the sick and in that temple she resided, a patient.

Lady Maria. The Pale Lady. Huntress extraordinaire. Duelist supreme.

A _patient_.

Robbed of her senses, struck dumb.

He and the rest worried. What would happen now? To Maria? To the Guild?

Gerrano had been grooming Maria to be the next First Hunter so with both of them gone, leadership was in question.

As Third Hunter, many turned to himself but he did not have the gravitas the pair had. Did not have the leadership ability, the administrative sense, the connections.

He could lead a pair of hunters on a hunt sure, but that was not leading an entire guild.

Hells, Lady Maria was the reason many of Hunters and Huntresses even joined.

So the guild was not only wracked with the loss of two of its leaders but the desertion of a fair few hunters as well, when it became clear the Lady was not going to pick up a sword again.

At the very least, Vargo told himself daily, it was not as bad as it could have been. A fair few stayed, willing to bear the burden and the loss of prestige.

And _some_ of the Lady's senses did return.

Eventually.

Every now and then.

She became both patient and healer in the Temple of the Moonsingers, helping to care for the ill and infirm.

The Sweet Lady, the patients called her. The Loving Lady. The Caring Lady.

When he caught her in a moment of lucidity he asked her whether she would pick up a sword again.

He remembered her reply: "I have no sword" she said, her once bright green eyes going dull.

She went back into sitting in silence for a month after that. The Moonsingers _kindly_ advised him to never bring up the topic again.

The stories spread during all of it of course, as they still did today.

The Pale Lady had lost her heart and her soul they sang mournfully. Gerrano was the heart, Rakuyo the soul.

From there they got even more ridiculous.

Some thought to break this "curse" laid upon her by bringing her sword back, risking Lorathi ire in doing so.

So far, none had managed to. Though the stories they returned with, of a drowned village shrouded with a mysterious mist, was a tale in and of itself. Some hadn't even returned to tell of it.

In the same vein others sought to re-create the Rakuyo as a gift. Master smiths from all across the land had been employed but even the smiths of Qohor could not forge a weapon that was described only by word of mouth. No diagram of the weapon existed and it's only user wouldn't - couldn't - describe the intricacies of its design.

Didn't stop them from trying though, which was why the Guild and the Temple had a stock of imitations.

Once, Vargo sent a letter to Cainhurst Castle, telling them of what happened to one of their own.

The letter he received had been marked for the Lady only so he sent it over. As far as he heard, it remained unopened.

A Cainhurst Knight, garbed in silver plated armour, visited once to discuss the matter further. He thought he would take her home, which was both a good and a bad thing in his mind. But he did not, instead only asking about her state and generally how she found life here in Essos.

It was an interesting conversation, for he showed no ill-intent and truly seemed interested in the Lady. But he also had no wish to take her home or even bring her gifts as a reminder.

Home then, would not be helping.

So it was that Lady Maria of Cainhurst remained in the Temple of the Moonsingers, earning her _another_ title: The Lady of the Moon Temple.

Vargo sighed, running a hand over his face as if to wipe away the tiredness.

"First Hunter" his aide opened the door "An applicant is here to see you"

He nodded, beckoning them inside.

As he interviewed the potential initiate his eyes could stop drifting over to the window, to look out towards a huge marble temple capped with an enormous silvered dome.

He liked to imagine bright green eyes looking his way.


	9. The Histories of Cainhurst, Vol III

Histories of the Vilebloods of Cainhurst, Vol III by Maester Dalfer

We last left off at the end of King/Lord Paramount Torrhen Stark's rule and the start of the rule of his son, Lord Paramount Rickard Stark. Under the strong suggestion by Queen Rhaenys Lord Rickard's sister Lyra Stark was married to Ronnel Arryn, the young Lord of the Vale but concessions were extracted, one of which was that a child of Lyra Stark was to be fostered at Cainhurst, which was _in addition_ to the traditional fostering from the Starks of Winterfell.

Under my theory that it was Brandon Snow that dueled Aegon Targaryen and lost to Balerion, I am making the assumption that this concession was the price Cainhurst asked for the loss of Brandon Snow.

Thus said, we begin with the Vileblood incursion into the Vale.

* * *

 **Vilebloods in the Vale**

After 13 AC at the conclusion of the First Dornish War Aegon ruled for twenty-four years, years which were, by and large, peaceful. Aegon I spent much of this time consolidating his rule, visiting his newly and personally appointed Lord Paramounts and creating personal bonds that, while far from being friendly, ensured that the Lord Paramounts would keep the King's Peace. He also treated the Faith with a velvet glove, granting them a Great Sept on Visenya's Hill and promising an even greater one, the future Sept of Remembrance, on Rhaenys's Hill. The city of Kings Landing would further start to take the shape we are now familiar with, with the construction of the Red Keep and the city walls.

During this time of peace the Vilebloods made their first appearance within the Vale as we know two Vileblood Knights accompanied Lyra Stark to her wedding held at the Eyrie, presumably acting as part of her guard. Apparently the "Northern Knights" made an impression upon the Valemen, likely for their distinctiveness from the rest of the Northern retinue.

The Vileblood presence in the Vale steadily grew, likely through their patron Lyra Stark who must have had a very good relationship with them, or at least held them in high esteem as she pushed hard to convince her husband to the increase in Vileblood presence. However it is doubtful she needed to do much convincing as the Vilebloods in the Vale acted much as they did in the North (though without much of the legal protections) in that they hunted down criminals, bandits and other bounties.

In the Vale, much of these were Mountain Clansmen.

In research for this work, I did make the risky endeavour to contact the remaining tribesmen who live in the most inaccessible parts of the mountains of the Vale. Like the folk tales of the North, I believed that the Vale Mountain Clans had stories that would be relevant to tracing a very light trail of Vileblood records and activity south of the Neck.

By the Gods' miracles, I did make contact and did learn a great deal.*

Indeed, the Mountain Clans had their own story to tell of the time of the "Great Nightmare", the term they refer to when speaking about that era as no other had hunted them, truly hunted them, with such ferocity, frequency and efficiency. The Vileblood impact was so much so that, for a time, the Mountain Clans feared their own extinction and that fear has not passed. The stories they tell are similar to the more violent tales found in the North, with significantly heightened intensity and frequency. Especially prominent are stories of attacks on settlements, often occurring at night, by demonic figures garbed in silver or black and covered in blood. Tales of kidnapping are also told, though curiously unlike the ones in the North the Mountain Clans mention the Vilebloods directly, as well as specifically targeting young children and even babies. Such stories, as will be told later, would not remain unique to the Mountain Clans.

So great was this act of depopulation that the Mountain Clansmen call this period the "Great Nightmare". Many Clansmen now, I have been told and have observed, draw their identity from the _survivors_ of this period where previous the mountain men proudly proclaimed their links to First Men who rejected Andal rule of the Vale.

The Vilebloods had quite literally reshaped their society, not only in terms of remembering their history but also in how they now currently survive.

Records of Mountain Clans before the Vileblood incursion describe them as living in separate clans that warred with each other as much as they raided the Andals. After the Vileblood incursion these clans were either destroyed utterly or amalgamated, something that had not been done since the last First Man High King Robar Royce II. While this would have prompted a reaction from the Andals of the Vale, the Mountain Clans, up until my meeting with them, did not inform outsiders of this rather significant event. In addition their numbers had been so reduced that Clansmen raids are almost fanciful stories in certain parts of the Vale.

So even united as they are now under one King, there aren't that many of them left to pose any great threat.

The Vilebloods then, almost singlehandedly, did what the Knights of the Vale couldn't do for thousands of years.

Yet in the Vale and in Westeros in general what the Mountain Clans call the period of the "Great Nightmare" is explained as the actions of the Vale Knights who campaigned in the "Clearings". These were military campaigns lead by so called "Hedge Septons" in the time of heightened Faith Militant activity during the reign of Aenys I and Maegor I.

Why would this be the case?

While this is difficult to discern as sources for Vileblood activity in the Vale begin to dry up sometime after the death of Aenys I, I beleive it was a matter of pride as well as power. As mentioned the Vilebloods did what the Knights of the Vale had failed to do since their arrival. On one hand they must have been respected fur such an action but on the other that same action painted the Knights of the Vale as incompetent, especially considering the fact that there were far fewer Cainhurst Knights. We all know pride is almost an aftereffect of being Knighted so to be shown up so badly must have raised some ire. In addition, and I believe more importantly, the "Clearings" now suddenly made land available for development. Even if such land is unsuited for growing much crops, there was still value to be found as there were other resources within. Since it was the Knights of Cainhurst which cleared this land no Vale houses could stake a strong and direct claim, unless it wasn't the Knights of Cainhurst but their own Knights who did the work of clearing the Mountain Clansmen. I do not know when it began or how but there is a trend, especially amongst the westernmost houses that reside in or border the Mountains of the Moon, of proclaiming their participation on the "Clearings" and then subsequently using that as a way to justify their claims on the land. The Vilebloods likely cared little, it was the people they wanted so there existed no opposition to such claims.

The Knights of Cainhurst did not just attack the Mountain Clans though, for they played a significant role in the politics of the Vale.

*To any future academics who wish to follow this same path: Do not. It was purely by coincidence and miracle that I managed to survive my encounter, the cost of which was extreme.

* * *

 **Rebellion of Jonos Arryn**

As I have said, Vileblood presence in the Vale had much to do with Lyra Stark, wife of Ronnel Arryn and Lady of the Eyrie. She was their patron in the Vale and, by the time when Aenys I ascended to the throne on the death of the Conqueror, her second child was a ward of Cainhurst.

Aenys' crowning however was the spark to ignite the tinder that had been collecting under the reign of the Conqueror. For while Westeros may have been conquered, not all acknowledged the rule of the new, foreign, dynasty. While Aegon and his sisters were able to keep a lid upon this unrest Aenys was not shaped in the mould of his father. Indeed compared to the sheer weight of reputation Aegon held, Aenys was but a feather. While he was a very social person, a significant patron of the arts and knowledgeable of the court, these qualities were overshadowed by his greatest failing: his indecisiveness.

When uprisings broke out almost immediately after his coronation he hesitated in dealing with them, ultimately leaving the matter to other individuals. One of these would be his younger and more martial brother, Maegor.

While there were other uprisings occurring during the reign of Aenys I, it will be the uprising in the Vale that will be our focus, as it was where the Vilebloods would meet with the man that would become known as "The Cruel".

The uprising in the Vale was led by Jonos Arryn, Ronnel's brother. In many ways the relationship between Ronnel and Jonos mirrored that of Aenys and Maegor, with the younger Jonos the more martial of the siblings and the more ambitious. While Ronnel was not an incompetent ruler by any means he was not a widely respected one amongst the Vale lords, some of whom saw their independence taken away by the actions of a rash child and his weak-willed mother. However, as we will see in the response to Jonos' uprising, they did not form the majority.

The younger of the Arryns began his rebellion by gathering his supporters in secret within his holding of the Gates of the Moon. Here troops from Houses Redfort, Egen, Hardyng and Belmore mustered and then set forth to besiege the Eyrie. Along the way the waycastles that were meant to guard the path to the Eyrie had opened their gates as Jonos had been the military commander of Arryn forces. Before the march he placed men loyal to him and the route that would have swallowed an army thrice his size was left open.

When the rebel troops arrived the Arryn guards had little time to fortify, the majority of them turning and the few remaining only managing to secure one of the seven towers while the rest of the castle fell. The few loyal guards were bolstered by less than a handful of Vilebloods, likely Lyra Stark's sworn swords. The majority of the Vilebloods were reportedly out in hunts, perhaps having been drawn out by Jonos' deception.

The siege of the Moon Tower is well recorded by one Ser Mandelton, a rebel knight participating in the attack. The following extract describes an attempt by the rebels to storm the tower:

"We were at the base entrance of the tower, the heavy doors barred shut. Hammers and axes were brought forth and we started to bring the door down. There were around twelve in there by our reckoning at that point: the flying lord and his Northern wife, seven guards who stayed loyal and at least two northern knights and the lord's young son. Should have been easy enough to overcome, you would think, since we had so many more people.

It was just that no one told us that the northern knights counted for a hundred men each.

When we hacked through enough of the door to make a hole big enough to fit through one of _them_ came out, sword swinging. Cut down two soldiers before we even realised what was happening. Ser's Moor and Coster made to confront him but he was inhumanly fast and strong, cutting off their arms and then their heads with mighty swings of his curved sword.

The other knights advanced but only two or three could fight him at a time because of the space and we were fighting on steps so he held high ground. He took down five more knights before we all charged him at once but then he used some kind of concoction, throwing a glass orb by our feet that spread a mist that made us numb. Our charge faltered and he slaughtered those at the front. When the bodies fell a volley of arrows forced him back, hitting him but not downing the man.

Hitting but not downing. That phrase described our efforts to take him down. Whatever these northern knights were, they were not human, or they must have some powerful magick they were using. I definitely saw blows strike him yet he did not fall.

Needless to say, the attack on the entrance on the skybridge above us did not work as well. The other knight was there and it was a narrow bridge. Few made it back to the other side"

Up until this point, we have very little sources to go on if we wish to assess the attitude of the Valemen to the Vilebloods. Ser Mandelton's account is extremely valuable in that it shows us a much needed perspective. In his journal he expresses both admiration and suspicion for the Vilebloods, the former for their actions in "utterly decimating the mountain savages" and the latter for their mysterious nature:

"...few knew how they did what they did. How were these "Vilebloods" so successful where all before them had failed? It is no shame to admit that the mountain clans, for all their savagery, know their homes well and armies can and have been swallowed up following them into the mountains. The Vilebloods on the other hand seemed to be able to go in the mountains willy-nilly for all the clansmen they kept bringing back.

As well, few knew where they took the clansmen they kept alive. They just brought them to a point somewhere on the northern shore and from there, who knows? A Sisterman might but they dont tend to come this far inland. It's all too shady a business for me, too many prisoners just vanishing. They are the wolf queen's men though and no one misses clansmen so no one questions them"

Vileblood reticence only seems to tighten outside of the North.

The siege of the Moon Tower would eventually end in victory for the rebels who overwhelmed the defenders though at great cost, both in blood and time. During the final storming Ser Mandelton specifically records the death of the Vilebloods and the mutilation of their bodies. The murder of Lyra Stark and young Harrold Arryn were left unmentioned.

Jonos's seizure of the Eyrie however took too long to affect a decisive blow and now he was the one besieged in the Eyrie. Loyalist forces gathered by Lord Royce of Runestone had stormed the Gates of the Moon and quickly taken the other waycastles leaving Jonos and the rebels trapped in the Eyrie. During this second siege Jonos killed his brother by throwing him out of the moon door giving a more chilling meaning to his title of "The King who flew".

We know at this point that some Vilebloods had joined up with the Lord of Runestone's forces, likely trickling in as they returned from their hunts. When they heard news that Ronald Arryn had been executed they made an "impetuous assault and overcame the rebels" an unnamed source writes. Inside they were said to have searched throughout the entire castle, killing or capturing rebels on the way. When they found that their Lady had been killed they executed Jonos Arryn "in a most brutal manner by splitting his back and pulling out his innards to give him 'wings'..."

The title of "Bloody Falcon" then has more meaning than just Jonos' kinslaying as is widely believed.

With the death of Ronnel and Jonos, the Lordship of the Vale fell into the hands of Ronnel and Lyra's second son, Rodrick Arryn who at this time was being fostered at Cainhurst. At the age of three and ten he was just shy of his majority so a regency was established, by none other than Prince Maegor Targaryen.

* * *

 **Rodrick Arryn**

Prince Maegor had resolved to solve the crisis in the Vale when King Aenys I dithered as to what to do but he had arrived too late. Though it was Lord Royce of Runestone that had assembled and besieged the rebels, Prince Maegor's first impression with loyalists forces was with the Vilebloods and the mutilated corpse of Jonos Arryn in the Eyrie's throne. What he thought of it at the time is not recorded, but considering his rather unsavoury nature and his later actions, it is no stretch to claim that he was impressed.

The Prince appointed the Lord of Runestone and one other as regents. Who this second regent was is officially not known and various claims have been made for his identity.

I, perhaps unsurprisingly, make the claim that this regent was a Vileblood. However granted this is only on the basis that under a certain light it would make some sense as direct evidence is quite lacking. The evidence I provide is the fact that Vileblood activity is maintained in the Vale throughout the reign of Rodrick Arryn though the degree of which is unknown, so they must of had a presence in the Eyrie to allow them to range freely as they did. In addition his fostering at Cainhurst would have been known and Maegor's possible good impression of the Vilebloods may have allowed them that spot. Furthermore, the fact that there is no direct evidence from any other Houses who claim this second regent position points to the fact that none of them ever actually had a claim.

Unfortunately, records of what the Vilebloods actually did during the reign of Rodrick Arryn are severely lacking. However stories from the Mountain Clans attest to continued attacks upon them, attacks which they do say end at some point. I believe that the death of Rodrick Arryn was this point or, perhaps, the death of his son.

I have already mentioned how the "Great Nightmare" of the Mountain Clansmen is remembered today and in a similar fashion, the Vileblood presence within the court of the Eyrie has been written out of the records. Or rather, perhaps not written at all. Considering the interests of Cainhurst seemed to be mainly the acquisition of people* and their general secretive nature, they may have not done much to actually be worthy of recording and preserving. However Rodrick Arryn had been a ward and was now a Lord Paramount. Many other families would have taken advantage of such a situation and there is little evidence to say that the Vilebloods do not act with cunning when it suited them. Undoubtedly they must have at least tried to maintain the bonds they had formed as it would have put them in a strong position within the Vale and strengthened their influence in general.

Whatever the case however this period of Vileblood involvement with Vale politics has been forgotten for the most part, though, as we will see in the next chapter, perhaps the Vilebloods wished for it this way.

*The reasons for which are likely the same as the ones we have today: a mystery.

* * *

 **Maegor's Monsters**

Maegor's monsters, at the time of writing, still inspire dread despite being dead for over hundreds of years. They are, after all, the ones responsible for the Harrying of the Riverlands, for the destruction of hundreds of Septs and for the disappearance and murder of many Septons and Septa's including members of the Most Devout. They have also been linked to the disappearance of several nobles and even the utter elimination of at least two houses.

The Monsters were a group of people that followed the third Targaryen King forming a part of his retinue. A part which would come to form the majority of his followers once his tyranny would drive away most others. Today these people are claimed to be either rabid Targaryen supporters and madmen* or, more popularly, mercenaries that Maegor I had brought over from his exile.

Yet, they are none of those, for Maegor's Monsters were almost certainly Vilebloods.

No other could have such skills as to kidnap members of the Most Devout unnoticed, no one other than Maegor himself could show such utter brutality towards devout members of the Faith and most importantly, the nature of their elimination from the records is extremely suspect.

I had initially believed, when conducting my research for the period of the rule of Aenys I, that the Faith must have either destroyed or locked away records of the Vilebloods outside of the Vale. In the Vale itself sources were scarce but available, not an uncommon thing when studying such a secretive House. What was there was hinted at greater Vileblood involvement with the rest of the realm once they had made contact with Maegor I. However since these records are often local to each Sept and few would bother to copy and preserve them, much had been lost and no full picture of Vileblood activity exists even in the Vale.

Outside of the Vale I turned to privately owned sources as there are no mention of Vileblood activity, or really much records at all, in the time covering the reign of Aenys I and Maegor I from the archives of the Faith. In the Riverlands and Crownlands this is understandable as many Septs were destroyed in these places, however my investigations turned up an interesting observation: In the Reach, Westerlands and Stormlands there are no records at all that even allude to Vileblood or Monster presence. This means that the areas which saw much of the latter were also areas which were ravaged and destroyed, in particular their Septs being razed.

A suspicious coincidence in all sense.

Using the remaining records as well as other sources that have survived, we can see a very rough pattern of the destruction of Septs which typically house these records. The destruction begins in the Crownlands shortly after Maegor's return from exile, two years after he had first met the Vilebloods. The interesting thing to note here is that this was started even before Maegor officially went on campaign against the Faith Militant. Who conducted these attacks is not officially known but it was likely Maegor's Monsters before they were known as such.

At the same time, there are personal anecdotes that can attest to the arrival of a retinue of warriors that followed Maegor. The descriptions of them commonly refer to them as "foreign" or "foreign-looking" and possessing "queer weapons". Granted, this description fits many of Essos' mercenary companies so it is not something that can fully prove the presence of Vilebloods in the capital. However it cannot be coincidence that members of the Faith were soon found dead in the street soon after their arrival, even if general unrest was heightening during this period.

The attacks upon the Faith in the Crownlands occurred with some degree of frequency, though it appears that the destruction of Septs and murders occurred in no organized fashion. Rather they were sporadic, flaring and receding until they entirely cease. Why they cease is not known but after extensive research I can reasonably conclude that at around the same time Maegor began to focus his efforts on the war against the Faith Militant. Thus the Monsters likely did not have either the time or resources to commit to destroying Septs, which may give an indication as to their actual numbers though again, no such record exists. Interestingly, most ruins and rebuilt structures attest to the use of fire as the principal cause of destruction, perhaps started with bottles of molotovs.

Though there would be sporadic targeting of septs throughout the uprising of the Faith Militant, the next wave of mass destruction would occur during the Harrying of the Riverlands. Here entire villages from Seagard to Maidenpool would be razed in a slaughter so great that it would be forever embedded into the core of every Riverlander. So great was the bloodshed that for the next hundred years the Riverlands would have to be supported by the crown and would remain the poorest and weakest of all the Seven Kingdoms. It is even said that nothing but grass grew from the Blackwater to the Trident, a saying that is true in spirit if not entirely accurate. The God's Eye Wood grew during this time, spreading around the lake of it's namesake and encroaching upon the blackened ruins of Harrenhal.

The cause of this great crime against all of humankind is often attributed to the support given by some of the smallfolk to the Faith Militant who hid and sheltered them from Maegor's army. However one of these villages was targeted by Maegor's Monsters and the people there were horrifically tortured, both as punishment and as a way to extract information. Then the Monsters moved to the next village and did the same, and to the next and to the next after that. Eventually, like starting a fire, the Monsters started to raze the villages without even questioning or searching. When the Riverlords tried to defend their fiefs and people, the Monsters either killed them or fell back and waited for Maegor to burn the now rebel Lord and his castle. House Smallwood of Acorn Hall and House Ryger of Willow Wood suffered this fate. When the Riverlords threw their full might with the Faith Militant they would be smashed in the Battle Between the Rivers. Unfortunately no account exists of the battle but we know that the combined Riverlord and Faith Militant forces lost, their armies scattering leaving the smallfolk defenceless and even more of a target. One by one Maegor's whole army, increasingly composed of mercenaries, would sack and raze every village between the Trident and the Blackwater, consumed with bloodlust and greedy for easy plunder.

Eventually however, Maegor's tyranny could no longer be borne.

At the twilight of Maegor's rule the entirety of the Kingdom south of the Neck was in turmoil. The Faith Militant, though battered and it's leaders being assassinated at seemingly a near constant rate, proved a resilient animal and regularly challenged Maegor's authority. In the face of this the lords of the Westerlands, Stormlands and the Reach ceased their support for the Iron Throne, if any were still loyal by that point. They rallied behind the only remaining son of Aenys I, Jaehaerys, crowning him their King. In the Vale Rodrick Arryn, coming into his majority, remained staunchly neutral. The North also remained outside of the conflict. Only the Riverlands did not challenge him by virtue of the Harrying. Even his own Kingsguard would abandon him and aside from his own mother, all the rest of his family were set against him. By the end of his reign Maegor's only companions would be his Monsters and it is likely that their numbers were never that large. The mercenaries which had come to form the core of his armies were whittled in number, killed in battle and in their beds, and no amount of gold could entice enough replacements.

The final nail in the coffin as it were was the death of Maegor's mother and most ardent supporter, Queen Visenya. A few days after, Maegor simply vanished, along with Blackfyre.

It is not known how or where and it remains one of the greatest mysteries of our history. What we do know is that very soon after Queen Visenya's funeral Maegor retreated to Dragonstone where he simply vanishes, no trace left. Many assume that he killed himself by jumping into the sea and taking the Valyrian sword with him as a last act of spite. Whatever the truth of it, Maegor's tyranny was ended and Jaehaerys was crowned King. After this, Maegor's Monsters, like their namesake, disappear altogether.

However, there is one interesting interaction that may give a strong hint that the Vilebloods were indeed Maegor's Monsters.

*A point of view that has become more popular since the deposition of the Targaryen dynasty.

* * *

 **Jaehaerys' Decree**

Torrhen II Stark came to rule the North after the death of his father Rickard. He followed his father's policies of internal stability and strengthening, as well as isolationism. Thus the North did not participate on any side in the conflict south. The Old Gods, after all, were not so welcomed by the Faith Militant and the Targaryens were not held in high esteem by the Starks. Thus there was not much interaction from North to South during the time we have so far covered.

However there was one exception: When King Jaehaerys was crowned and after he negotiated the end of the conflict with the Faith Militant, he rode to the North, to Winterfell.

What was negotiated between the Lord Paramount of the North and his liege lord has passed down to us through a set of decrees, seen by many to be the first move of Jaehaerys' attempts at reconciliation. The basic premise of the negotiation was gaining access to the North's resources to help rebuild the realm, especially the Riverlands. In return the North, through the aforementioned decrees, would get special privileges from the Crown such as monopolies of certain goods and some redirection in the flow of trade from Kings Landing and Maidenpool to White Harbour.*

However there is one particular decree that we should take note of:

"By the decree of his Royal Highness Jaehaerys, the First of His name...It shall be known that Merchants of the North conducting honest dealings shall be protected by obligation by all good Knights south of the Neck."

This decree, which is still technically in place, has a very peculiar bit of phrasing: "All Knights South of the Neck". This is a very tacit acknowledgement of the existence of the Knights of Cainhurst which means that King Jaehaerys knew about them, perhaps from hearing about them from the Vale, perhaps he learned from Torrhen II. Or perhaps, considering the effects of the decree, he was more familiar with them than we may otherwise assume.

On the surface the decree appears innocent enough, taking advantage of a Knight's sense of honour and obligation so the crown does not have to provide the service itself. However we know for a fact that Cainhurst Knights are also it's merchants and if this is true back then as it is now, then Jaehaerys in all essence prevented Cainhurst Knights from venturing south. Because if they did they would be in the company of men who may recognise or indeed have fought alongside or against them. If this was the case then it would go a long way in explaining why, after Maegor, we hear no more of Vileblood presence south of the Neck, at least until the Dance.

Whether it was by intent or accident, this particular decree ensured that Vileblood interests south of the Neck would wane and eventually disappear altogether. As far as I have uncovered, it was their relationship with Maegor that was the draw to the Capital and it was likely their animosity to the Faith that gave them reason to stay. As well they may have attained great treasures from the places they ransacked and from Maegor himself. Indeed, perhaps Blackfyre is not so lost as many think. With all that gone and with their hold over the Eyrie loosening, the Vilebloods appeared to have no obvious reason to risk themselves in the South.

With the South now an incredibly dangerous venture the Vilebloods seem to have returned to their usual isolationism as we hear almost nothing from them for many years, even after the passing of King Jaehaerys. However, this did not mean that they were inactive as there are _some_ sources which may indicate Vileblood activity in the east, across the Narrow Sea in the period before the Dance.

*Such redirection made the Manderlys _very_ prosperous indeed and the North a go-to destination for some Essosi merchants.


	10. Pup among Wolves

Jon kept his eyes on the horizon, despite the cold wind blowing into his face. In the distance a small banner swayed, moving all too slowly towards him.

Towards Cainhurst Castle.

The golden wolves on crimson fluttered above him flying high and proud, discernible even in the wind and snow. A symbol for all those around as to who exactly owned these cold, windy hills.

Not that anyone would not know in any case. Cainhurst was a name almost as well known as Stark, at least in the north.

As the Stark direwolf came ever closer and Jon saw the man at the head of the riders, he wondered which name he preferred, if he had a choice.

A Knight on guard rang the bell tower. _Ding_ , a five second pause, _ding_. The toll for expected arrivals.

Briefly Jon was reminded of his lessons. If there was a three second pause, it was an unknown arrival. A second pause was for an attack.

The only time the bell tolled otherwise was hundreds of years ago, when Cainhurst was first discovered, when it was besieged.

Soon enough the riders under the Direwolf banner made their way up the narrow path towards the gates of Castle Cainhurst, which were, naturally, closed.

Jon moved near enough to the gatehouse so he could be witness to the ceremonial exchange.

"Who stands before the castle of Cainhurst?" A Houseguard called out.

"It's liege, Eddard Stark!" Jon's father called out.

"Cainhurst knows no liege than the Vilebloods!" Was the haughty reply.

"The Vilebloods know ME as liege!"

A few moments passed, Lord Eddard Stark and the Houseguard Ser Cregan staring intently at one another before the latter nodded, silver helmet bobbing.

"The liege is known! The liege may pass!" came the eventual announcement.

The portcullis was withdrawn with a winding of thick chains, then the great oak gates slowly pulled open and the second portcullis was lifted.

Finally, the Lord of Winterfell entered the domain of his vassal.

Jon thought he cut an impressive figure, if a bit of a grim one. Dark brown hair down to his chin, Stark grey eyes and a trimmed beard with a long face, his mouth set in a line as he surveyed the inside of Cainhurst for the fourteenth time.

For his bastard sons' fourteenth name day.

Jon was down in the courtyard by the time his father had dismounted, standing alongside a small group of knights dressed in the ceremonial wear of Cainhurst. A white silk shirt with long sleeves and frilled cuffs over which went a rich red linen waistcoat with a white neck frill, embroidered with silver leaf. Over that went a long rich black velvet coat, again embroidered with silver leaf, with large embroidered cuffs. Fine black leather boots adorned their feet and red leather gloved with a velvet lining covered their hands. A ruby, strung with pearls and within a silver pendant, hung around their necks to complete the ensemble.

Jon tugged at his own neck frill, a piece of garment peculiar to the denizens of Cainhurst. For his own dress he wore a simplified version of the Cainhurst garb though it was no less ostentatious in it's own way, still possessing the favoured silver leaf embroidery.

The Knights, and Jon, bowed to the Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North.

"We greet you, liege-lord! Be welcome to Cainhurst!" They chorused.

"I am welcome" Lord Stark uttered and though Jon's head was bowed he could _feel_ the man's eyes upon him.

Lord Stark and his escort were led through the castle followed by his guards and then Jon and three Knights. The Stark guards were gazing about in amazement at splendour on display, as well as the infinite number of statues that the castle contained. For Jon, who had grown up at Cainhurst, the statues were as normal as could be but it was times like this that reminded him of how foreign his host's home was.

Lord Stark on the other hand was unperturbed, striding forth with purpose. He had seen these statues and decorations as much as Jon had.

The Lord stopped before the door to the dining hall, two heralds flanking it on either side.

"Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell, honoured guest!" They cried.

It was repeated on the inside by two other heralds.

There was a moment where shuffling could be heard behind the door, then it was opened and Jon's closed his eyes in reaction to the brightness that poured out from within.

Lord Stark similarly had to avert his eyes for a moment, then the dining room came into view.

Ostentatious was a good word to _start_ describing the inside.

Gold chandeliers hung from the ceiling, reflecting light from the multitude of candles they held and thus bathing the room in a bright glow. Rich crimson and gold banners adorned the walls and long red velvet carpets covered the floor beneath the two large tables, laying atop a fine, polished pinewood floor. On the back wall within immediate view were the portraits of Vilebloods of note within golden frames, on the sides of the room stood tall, life-sized statues of the Vileblood Kings and Queens of old, their finely carved stone eyes looking down upon those seated at the tables. Entering the room the walls on either side of the door both held life-sized mirrors of polished silver as well as more portraits and statues.

On the tables, alongside gold and silver statuettes, a buffet of food was laid out, placed upon silver platters and lit by candles held in silver and gold candlesticks. Venison, wild boar, bear, fowls and birds, a large stuffed pork, fresh root vegetables, fresh soft _white_ bread and more were laid out, all hot and steaming and every bit as rich as it was mouth watering.

It was far, _far_ more than what the Vilebloods normally ate but then again, it was a special occasion.

The party entered, Lord Stark taking a reserved seat near the head of the noble table while the Stark guards were lead to their seats in the Knights table.

"Squire Jon" A soft, regal voice cut through the din of conversation. Or rather, conversation stopped when the voice spoke.

Jon, about to take a seat amongst the Knights and guards, stood straight, turned and then bowed at the waist at his host. "My Lady"

"Rise"

He did, and looked at the masked face of Lady Annalise, Lady of Castle Cainhurst and Ruler of the Vilebloods, as well as his host.

"I bid thee sit, thy father requests thy company" She gestured with a thin, pale arm towards an empty seat right across from Lord Stark who was looking at him with a grey-eyed gaze.

He bowed at an angle, dipping his right shoulder first, the action well remembered by his body. "As my lady bids"

Once he was settled and the Lady gave a small nod the conversation picked back up.

Except between Lady Annalise, Jon and Lord Stark, the three of whom were somewhat cut off from the rest of the table by a vacant seat next to Jon and his father, and by the fact that no one even glanced at them.

"How are you Jon?" Lord Stark asked, his hardened expression turning soft.

Jon inclined his head "I am well, Lord Stark. Lady Annalise is a gracious host"

The man's expression was stone faced but Jon could see it turn pinched for just a moment. "Very good to hear. You are a Squire now? To whom?"

He glanced at his Lady and she gave a slight nod of her head "Yes, I am squired to The Hunter" Another glance at the Lady, another nod. "She is a good Knight, with over a hundred heads under her belt"

Lord Stark raised a brow "The Hunter?"

It was Lady Annalise that answered him "Yes, she is rather curious this one. She knows not from whence she hails, or why or how she is here, but she is superbly skilled"

"How did she come to be in Cainhurst, this amnesiac?"

"She received an invitation"

Lord Stark kept an expectant look towards Lady Annalise but the latter did not elaborate, so Jon did not either when his Lord father turned to him.

Lord Stark muttered something about Vileblood reticence and ate his meal.

Jon thought the dinner was pleasant, he had the honour of sitting next to the Lady of the Castle and conversing with his Lord father, a special occasion only reserved for his name day.

It did not pass him by that his was the only name day celebrated in the castle but he had learned that such oddities were to be expected from the Vilebloods, if what his Lord Father said was true. Thus he did not know how old any of the denizens of the castle were and it was difficult to judge their age because of their ever present masks which, again, only he was exempt from wearing.

His father's stony yet warm expressions certainly made a better sight than the groveling of the servants, that was for certain.

* * *

The season was Summer and had been for quite some time, nearing a decade. In the South the sun shined upon bountiful fields fed with rain and caressed by gentles gales. In the North the sun shined upon tough shoots of grass growing through snow, suffering no hail nor snowstorm.

Jon watched the horizon from a tower in Cainhurst, beside his father as the Lord surveyed his vassal's domain.

"Are you happy here, Jon?" Lord Stark asked, turning to look at him.

Jon took his time answering that question "Yes, I suppose. I know no other life than as a ward of Cainhurst"

"And when you grow? Have you thought about what you wish to be? What you want to do after your squiring?"

The answer was obvious "A Knight"

His father regarded him with one of those hard to read expressions of his "Of Cainhurst"

Jon nodded "In the service of my Lady"

Lord Stark's brows furrowed "Do you wish to meet your siblings at least? Rob asks about you constantly, even tried to convince me to let him join me here. Sansa and Arya are the same, though they're not that obvious about it. The young ones are curious too"

Ah. Jon wondered when this topic would come up. His siblings, his family. Lord Stark spoke to him about them every time he visited, reminding him that he did have people outside of these walls other than him that wished to see him.

He did not know how to feel about that, but he enjoyed listening when his Lord father spoke about his siblings. He knew of Rob's incessant desire to meet him, even received a letter Lord Stark delivered when he was younger that he kept with him. He knew of Sansa and Arya's bickering and rivalry. He knew of young Brandon and Rickon, one a great climber and the other possessed of a great imagination.

Yet what he did not know was what he truly wished to.

"And my mother?"

Lord Stark sighed, expecting the question. He laid a hand upon Jon's shoulder and gave a light squeeze "Your mother…Jon, all you need to know is that your mother loved you dearly"

It was the same answer he received when he asked a year ago. And the year before that. And the year before that.

As far as he knew Lord Stark was a truthful man, so he had no reason to believe the words were a lie. Yet still the man would not tell him who his mother was and offered no explanation as to why.

Was he ashamed? Fearful? Did he not know himself?

Jon did not know.

"When you're of age"

Jon perked up.

Lord Stark's gaze bore into him, more solemn than ever "When you are a Knight, when you know the worth of vows and oaths. The, we'll talk about your mother"

Jon swallowed, then nodded. "Thank you, father"

Lord Stark made that expression he made whenever Jon addressed him as such, a complex interplay of emotions that spoke of things Jon simply could not read.

Father and Son shared a brief embrace and then separated, for another year.

* * *

"My Lady" Jon kneeled before the Lady Annalise who sat upon her gold and crimson throne.

"Has thy father informed thee yet?"

He shook his head "Not yet, but my Lord father promises to do so when I am knighted"

There was a graceful nod from a masked face, and a wave of a pale arm. "Very good. Now go, attend thy leeching. Keep thy humours in balance"

Jon departed the throne room leaving the Lady alone.


	11. The Gathering

"Are they even coming?" Lord Glover grumbled, nursing a cup of wine.

His fellow Lords waited for a moment.

"What are we even waiting for" he continued "Their man is right here ain't he?" He pointed to a figure stood to the side of the hall, the only one among them wearing a helmet.

Distinctively from Cainhurst, he wore a helmet that shined like polished silver. If that had not been enough to mark him as belonging to that peculiar House, his fanciful clothing would have. A long, black velvet coat embroidered with silver and with wide cuffs, again embroidered with silver thread. Underneath he wore a doublet of deep crimson, the frills extending out from under the cuffs. Brown trousers, black leather boots and gloves matching the colour of his doublet completed the ensemble.

Compared to the 'northern fashion' sported by the assembled Northern nobility, rich fur cloaks and styled in a way best described as practical beauty, he more than stood out.

Though, for the Northern nobility themselves, such a thing was hardly a surprise.

"Apparently there's another one coming, a Herald for their Lady" Lord Karstark said, eating a buttered roll.

"Never the Lady herself" Lord Glover continued to grumble "Hundreds of Annalises and never heard of one ever leaving Cainhurst. How do that even work?" he shook his head "Damn Vilebloods…"

"I heard it's a title" Lady Dustin chimed in as she made her way to the pair "Like 'Magnar' in the old tongue. It would have to be, otherwise how would you tell one from another?"

"So they all have their own names then" Lord Karstark assumed "Aye, they must do. Would be mighty confusing otherwise. 'suppose all us 'outsiders' don't need to know" he said with some derision. "Figures"

Lady Dusting laughed, politely. "What need have we of their names when, as Lord Glover says, they do not even leave Cainhurst. The Lady speaks through her Knights and they we all know well enough"

Lord Glover huffed "True enough I suppose" he said, looking at the Cainhurst man. "The Bloody Crow, or is it Dawnslayer now? Whatever he is called..."

"Master of arms at Winterfell?" Lady Dustin supplied, the corner of her mouth turning up to meet her cheek.

Both Lords huffed, one more amused than the other.

A sudden noise ended the trio's conversation, in fact, all the gathered nobility turned to the Great Hall's entrance which had been struck wide open.

A tall man, a very, very tall man stood in the doorway.

"Ah!? Uhm, er...Lord-" the herald scrambled to perform his duty but was silenced by the tall man's booming voice.

"The Umber's have arrived!" Lord Jon 'Greatjon' Umber bellowed out with a hearty laugh.

Beside him, his son Jon 'Smalljon' (Though he was nearly as tall as his father) rolled his eyes.

The majority of the assembled nobility copied his example.

"Be welcome, Lord Umber" Lord Stark said with his usual dryness, voice carrying despite being sat on the other end of the Great Hall.

Those close to him could see the amusement in his expression.

"Well, stop gawking all of ya, let's get to arguing already!"

Many gatherings like the one they were in had numbed many of the Lords and Ladies to the Greatjon's "indoor" voice. Still, numb didn't necessarily mean pleased by.

"We have yet to have the full compliment, my Lord of Umber" Lord Stark informed the bear of a man, just as he was about to take a seat.

"Huh?" He appeared surprised, looking at his Lord "We traveled the longest out of everyone here, surely?"

The man then took a look around, eyes squinting at the gathered nobility whose expressions ranged from amusement to exasperated. Only when it seemed his eyes had found the Cainhurst Knight in the corner did he clue in what everyone already knew.

"AGAIN!?" he bellowed, throwing his arms out and nearly smacking Lord Manderly and Lord Tallheart.

Chuckles filled the room, Lord Stark's among them, though a few appeared to grumble their agreement with Lord Umber's sentiment.

The gaints' theatrics not quite having the intended effect, Lord Umber settled in and the hall once more went back to a din of conversation.

Like the Smalljon, many of the Lords also had their heirs and sons in attendance. Robb Stark himself was the centre of a gathering of young men and women, the would-be future leaders of the North. Beside the Northern heirs, he also had next to him the erstwhile heir of Pyke and the Iron Islands, Theon Greyjoy. Though the Islander appeared to be conversing genially with his peers, most could tell he had few close relations with any of them.

Another, smaller and less notable, gathering centred around the figure of Domeric Bolton. Handsome, charming and so, so unlike his father it had not been a surprise that he had gathered around him some of the heirs of the lesser houses as friends or supporters.

All around the hall various other groups were conversing together, some because of shared interests and others because of shared friendships, and often because of both. They generally sat ors tood together, a physical representation of the different interests and factions in the Northern Court.

All throughout it all Eddard Stark presided, with only the Maester Luwin next to him for direct company. If one did not count the Cainhurst Knight stood a distance over his shoulder that is.

Thus time passed, as well as patience. The Greatjon especially was keen on getting things going but Lord Stark remained unmoved. It was not until another hour had passed that the doors opened and the castle herald stepped through.

"Announcing, Dame Sophia of Cainhurst, here representing Lady Annalise, Lady of Cainhurst and Leader of the Cainhurst Vilebloods"

The man stepped to the side and from behind him stepped forth a woman who drew the gaze of every eye in the hall. Partly because she was beautiful, with long dark flowing hair, fine features and pale skin. Partly because she wore the eye catching clothing of Cainhurst, a rich red velvet dress over which went an equally rich black vestcoat embroidered with silver. An ensemble similar to her male counterpart.

Mostly however, it was because of the severed head she was carrying, and the blood that stained the hem of her dress and coat.

Sophia curtsied, the action causing the head to turn to face the assembled crowd. Everyone had a clear view of the thing's final expression.

A wide, gaping scream.

Lord Stark grimaced, an expression matching many a face in the hall. "Dame Sophia…explain?"

The lady Knight lifted the head to eye level, looking towards it as if examining it "'twas a criminal my Lord, one most vicious and vile. When passing through a village the smallfolk called to me for aid, for one of their own had been taken by the fiend. As you can see, I hunted it down"

"...and why bring it here?"

The woman smiled, an unnerving sight "The thing professed knowledge most interesting. It _was_ " she emphasised the word "apparently Ramsay, the Bastard of Bolton"

The announcement was met with grumbling discussion among the Northern nobility. Some were less than impressed, as this was not exactly the situation to bring up such a thing. Others were looking towards Lord Bolton, judging, disapproving or unreadable in their expressions.

The Lord himself appeared unmoved, face as stony as ever.

Doneric, however, had leapt to his feet. "My brother!?" he called, wide eyed in shock. He turned to his father, seeking confirmation or any kind of acknowledgement. When the man remained silent, staring at the Knight, Domeric pressed "Father-"

"Sit down boy" Lord Bolton demanded, eyes locked onto the lady Knight's who, in turn, was smirking openly at him.

"Fath-"

"Sit down" the words were whispered, but uttered with the full weight of the title of the Lord of the Dreadfort, along with an icy glare from pale, milk-white eyes.

Domeric's jaw tightened, hands clenching to fists.

But he sat down quickly after.

"A heinous monster" Dame Sophia continued "Assuredly, in its madness it claimed lies and falsehoods. Only corrupted seed and corrupted blood could spawn such a thing" she said, eyes boring straight into those of the Lord of the Dreadfort.

There were some widening of eyes at her words.

"Assuredly" Lord Stark said with the dryness of Dorne's sands, grey eyes boring into those of the Dame. "Regardless, consider yourself reprimanded Dame Sophia. This is neither the time nor place to brag about your accomplishments. Be rid of that head and take your place to represent the Lady of Cainhurst"

Sophia curtsied once more "Of course, my Lord of Stark. Thy will be done"

The Dame passed the head to a waiting Page behind her and moved to sit in the Hall, situating herself in a table that had Lady Dustin, Lady Mormont, the Lord of Flint's Finger, Lord Hornwood and a few others besides. The nobility bid her greeting and welcomed her into their fold, Sophia taking a seat reserved for her at the center of the group.

Thus began the Gathering called by the Lord Eddard Stark on the year two hundred and ninety seven AC, the twelfth in his reign, where all the nobility of the North gathered to discuss affairs of House and Realm.


End file.
